The Lost Summer
by rubyriot
Summary: "The hundredth time's the charm, right?" Starts where the show left off. How I like to imagine the summer we never got to see. LoVe
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Veronica Mars.

A/N: The italics are VMVO in case you couldn't tell. I also think it's about damn time Piz grows a backbone, don't you? Time to go out with a bang, buddy.

Ch. 1 – Saviors and Surfers

_Nothing says 'desperately trying to save my relationship' like a picnic on the beach. Now I'm not normally one to put much stock in something so cliché, but it seems like a nice, normal thing to do and that's what I've been trying to do lately. Have a normal, healthy relationship. It's not something I'm used to, so that's why I agreed to this whole picnic on the beach thing. It also doesn't help that the closer I get to leaving for the summer, the more sullen Piz becomes. _

Veronica watched in amusement as Piz prepared their perfect picnic spot. He laid down a checkered blanket (where had he even found that?) and put the basket of food down in the middle. Veronica scanned the beach to see what all was going on. She had to be aware of her surroundings at all times, after all. Of course, that meant that she was bound to spot him. Standing by the edge of the water with his surfboard in hand was Logan. Her gaze lingered a second too long and he managed to see her too. She said a quick mental prayer that he wouldn't try to come over since she was clearly on a date. Somehow he managed to show good judgment and simply smiled at her and waved. She waved back with an impressed grin and turned back to Piz, who was looking at her like a hurt puppy.

_Oh boy. Time for some damage control._

A quick kiss and a question about his upcoming internship later, Veronica and Piz were back in date mode. She was trying to devote all of her attention to Piz, but she kept finding herself gazing toward the water and getting lost in her own thoughts, like how strange it is that the sun rises over the east coast instead of setting. She was getting nervous about her own internship, but it was something she didn't want to talk to Piz about because it would put him in a bad mood to think about her leaving. She turned her attention back to Piz, who was still rambling about his future in radio.

"So when I have my own show on a real radio station, I'm going to let the interns have more air time, because that's what an internship should really be about." Piz said, looking to Veronica for agreement.

"Yeah, it's all about the experience" she replied trying to sound supportive.

Piz smiled in relief that she agreed with him and continued his one-sided conversation. Veronica glanced back toward the water and her eyes caught a surfer. She immediately recognized the form, even from far away. Of course it was Logan. Suddenly she found the water sport strangely appealing. The concentration needed to stay up would probably make her mind stop racing, if only for a minute. She looked back at Piz and found him packing up his stuff.

"What's wrong? Where are we going?" she asked, confused. She had only zoned out for a second. What had she missed?

"I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore. I thought I could, but I can't. I'm just done" he said forcefully.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Piz" she replied truthfully. She was unnerved by the anger she detected in his voice.

"It's never going to change. He's always going to come to your rescue; even when it's not his place anymore. And you're going to go all moony-eyed when he does."

Piz was starting to talk louder and Veronica tried to cut in and explain herself, but he wouldn't give her a chance.

"Don't even try to deny it. I saw the way you looked at him after he kicked some other guy's ass in your honor. I was standing right there Veronica. I'm not stupid. Even now you look at him and the rest of the world disappears and I'm over it. You're still in love with him and the whole world knows it."

He was practically yelling now and Veronica felt tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to think of a way to make things better, but she just couldn't. Piz finally stood up and started to walk away. She stood up after him and yelled back.

"You can't just leave me here. We rode together." It was a last ditch effort on her part and Piz did not look sympathetic.

"I'm sure your savior will come to your rescue" he shouted before turning back around and walking away for good.

Veronica just stood there watching him walk away, silent tears trickling slowly down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do next. People were gawking at her and she wanted to disappear, but she couldn't move.

_So much for normal, kiddos._

Logan had always loved surfing. It used to be a great way to get chicks, but he wasn't so concerned with that these days. Everything in the world made sense when you caught a perfect wave and let it carry you to shore. It was freeing. Until you were back on land, that is. He looked around to see where on the beach his wave had taken him so he could find his way back. This was typical enough, except usually Veronica wasn't on shore having a lame ass picnic with her lame ass boyfriend. Actually, Logan didn't really have a problem with Piz other than jealousy, but the green eyed monster is a bitch and makes people act all kinds of crazy. Case in point, Logan's life.

He found her easy enough, but things did not look well in paradise. He saw Piz stand up and start walking away. Veronica stood up and said something to him that made him turn around, but her voice was carried away by the wind. Piz yelled something back, but all Logan heard was the word savior. Wasn't it a little early in the afternoon for a debate about religion? He watched as Piz walked away and Veronica just stood there. Was Piz coming back or not?

Veronica was trying to move. Really, she was. But she didn't know where to go. She could call Wallace or Mac to come get her, but that would mean she had to explain what just happened. She didn't know if she could do that.

"Veronica."

The voice came from behind her and she willed her tears to stop before she turned around, but as soon as she saw his face they only fell harder. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and held her tight. She started to laugh.

_Great, now I sound like a crazed hyena. Could this day get any worse? Uh-oh, aren't those the famous last words you aren't ever supposed to speak? Quick, someone find me some wood to knock on. _

Logan pulled back enough to see Veronica's face.

"Are you laughing or crying?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Both" she answered before taking a deep breath.

"Okay, let's start with the crying. What did Piz say to you to make you cry?" he asked trying to keep the venom out of his voice so she wouldn't get defensive.

"He broke up with me," she said a lot calmer than she expected to. She broke away from Logan and sat down on the blanket. He followed her lead and waited for her to continue. "He has this crazy idea that I'm still in love with you and he says he can't deal with the fact that you'll never stop trying to rescue me."

"So why were you laughing?" he asked nervously.

"Because he was right; he called you my savior and said you would come to rescue me if he left me here."

"So was he right about everything, or just about me?"

"I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that already. The question is, what are we going to do about it? All I want is a normal, healthy relationship, but I can't have that because I'm still in love with you," she confessed.

"I don't know about normal, but we can try for healthy can't we?" he asked hopefully.

"We've tried to make it work so many times and it never does. I can't keep going back and forth with you. It hurts too much."

"What if we just go forward then? The hundredth time's the charm, right?"

_Sometimes you just have to give in to the universe and brace yourself for the fallout. It's too bad Logan doesn't remember his epic relationship speech, because I'm starting to think it was spot on. Bring on the bloodshed. _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the support for this story. I got so many story alert notices in such a short time. Sorry for the delay in posting chapter 2. I was a bit distracted with vacation and getting engaged! Enjoy some fluffy LoVe action as a celebration.

Ch.2 – FBI Bound

_Last minute packing; it's inevitable for the things you use on a daily basis. I've had most of my bags packed for weeks in anticipation of tomorrow morning, but somehow there still seems like so much left to do. That's why I called for reinforcements. Well, one reinforcement that is. And a distracting one at that. Could it be that my on again, off again, potentially on again boyfriend doesn't actually want me to finish packing? Now there's a thought…_

"Logan, you're supposed to be putting stuff in the bag, not taking it out" Veronica said, shaking her head.

"You didn't fold it small enough. We'll never fit everything in that one tiny bag if you don't do things properly. Honestly, Veronica, it's like you never travel."

"That's because I never do travel. Not anywhere that requires overnight visits anyway. Hence, you're supposed to be my expert helper."

"Then don't criticize my process."

"Okay, okay. You know best" she said, putting her hands up in surrender.

"Say that one more time" he said slyly, closing in on her for a kiss.

"Shouldn't we wait until after I get back to start _this_ again?" she asked with her patented 'you and me' hand gesture.

"No, I want to be with you now" he answered firmly, followed by a kiss on her neck.

"I'm being serious. I'll be gone all summer and it just seems safer to wait, given our history."

"Veronica, I don't want to be with anyone else. And I sure as hell don't want you to be with anyone else. I promise I'll be a boy scout the whole summer" he promised, holding up three fingers to prove it. "What do you say?"

_I can't stop counting all the ways this seems like a bad idea. But apparently my usually sensible nature has flown out the window in the past 72 hours. It's always a whirlwind with this one, isn't it?_

* * *

Keith made sure to enter the house making as much noise as possible after seeing Logan's car parked outside. He didn't want to walk in on any "surprises" on Veronica's last day at home. He wanted their last day together to be a pleasant one. He was more than a little relieved when he saw that his daughter's bedroom door was open already. That meant he could check up on her without being obvious.

"Hey dad!" Veronica said brightly upon seeing him in her doorway.

"Hi Mr. Mars. How's it going?" Logan asked politely.

"I'm fine. And what might the two of you be up to?" he responded, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"Logan is helping me with my last minute packing since he's such a seasoned traveler."

"Well, isn't that convenient? What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I'm planning to have a wild going away party tonight, but other than that, I got nothin'" Veronica answered playfully.

"Wild party, huh? I'll order pizza. What time are Mac and Wallace planning to be here?" Keith inquired.

"You know me too well, dad. They should be here between seven-thirty and eight."

"And I will be back by then as well. But right now, I've got an errand to run" Logan announced, kissing Veronica on the forehead and sliding past Keith before he could be questioned about it further.

Keith watched him leave in slight amazement. Was this the same smart-ass boy she used to date, who lacked all sense of tact? Rich kids didn't run errands. He was trying to give Keith and Veronica time to spend together and Keith appreciated it immensely.

"You know, just when I think I hate that boy again; he does something to surprise me" Keith mused quietly.

"You're preaching to the choir there, dad."

"So what do you want to do on your last afternoon in Neptune, dear daughter?" Keith asked, shifting his focus back on Veronica.

* * *

_Pizza? Check. Movies? Check. All my favorite people in the same place? Check. Why is it that as soon as I get a chance to leave Neptune, I can't stop thinking about all the reasons I have to stay? _

Veronica sat back on the couch and smiled to herself. Her dad was trying his best to stay awake, but was quickly losing the battle. Mac and Wallace were trying to cram an entire summer's worth of conversations with her into this one night. It made her smile. She glanced at Logan, who was being pretty quiet at this point, and was glad to notice that he seemed content rather than annoyed. He had his hand on her thigh and gave it a slight squeeze when she smiled at him. She glanced at her dad again and rolled her eyes.

"Dad, why don't you go to bed? We'll be quieter, I promise."

"Mmhmm," he mumbled sleepily while finally rising from his chair, "just remember what time you have to be up in the morning to catch your flight."

"I know, dad. We won't be up too much later. I love you."

"Alright. I love you too, Veronica. Goodnight kids, behave yourselves. If it gets any wilder in here the neighbors might call the police."

"Always with the jokes" Veronica laughed as her father disappeared into his bedroom.

The conversation continued for a little while longer, but it was obviously dwindling. Veronica kept leaning further into Logan's embrace as the night progressed. Even though she wasn't a super girly-girl, Mac was still pretty adept at picking up social cues of the romantic variety. She gave Wallace a knowing look and he yawned a little too big to be entirely convincing.

"I'm getting pretty tired," Mac said. "I think I'm going to get going."

"Yeah, me too," Wallace agreed. "Make sure you call us tomorrow when you get there. It's going to be a long summer in Neptune without you."

"Thanks for coming by guys. I love you and I'll miss you" Veronica said, trying not to get choked up.

Veronica got up to give her best friends goodbye hugs. God she was going to miss them. As much as she wanted to leave Neptune, it was her home. _They_ were her home. She reluctantly closed the door behind her friends and turned back towards her boyfriend. Logan was still sitting patiently on the couch and motioned for her to come back and join him again. She snuggled up next to him, closed her eyes, and sighed with contentment. She felt something be placed into her lap and looked to see a small, wrapped gift. She picked it up and turned to face Logan.

"It's not my birthday" she said in a patented Veronica Mars 'I'm so cute and snarky' voice.

"Just open the present before I take it back" Logan said with a smirk.

"You wouldn't!" she said, holding the present close to her.

She started carefully opening the present, trying not to rip the paper. Logan gave her an exasperated look, but he never took the time to wrap gifts and she wanted to savor the moment. She opened the box and found a decorative magnifying glass. It had something etched into the glass, so she held it up to the light. It said "FBI Bound" in fancy script.

"It's cheesy, I know, but I always thought you should have one of these." Logan began.

"I love it," Veronica interrupted, "and I love you."

Those were the last words spoken that evening, as their mouths were otherwise occupied from then on.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still own nothing but my own thoughts.

A/N: Your reviews make me happy. Keep 'em coming.

Ch. 3- Scout's (Dis)Honor

_Three weeks in Virginia and it's nothing like Neptune. Well, scratch that. There's still a tangible line between the haves and the have nots, but there are no cases for me to take. None of the interns have had anything stolen, no one has mentioned a potentially cheating spouse, and no one has been murdered yet. Am I actually reminiscing fondly about Neptune and its crime rate? Kill me now._

Veronica was sitting on her bed with her laptop, checking her email, hoping for news from home. Mac had written to say hi and to complain about how bored she was without her. Wallace sent her an update that there was nothing major going on in Neptune either. She figured he was just trying to make her feel better. Neptune was never quiet. There was nothing from Logan. Not that it surprised her. He preferred phone calls to emails unless there were pictures involved. As if on cue, her phone rang the instant she thought about him. Smiling, she answered quickly.

"I was hoping you'd call soon. Keeping busy without me?"

"Not so much, actually. Listen, I've been thinking, and the whole boy scout thing really isn't me" Logan replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Veronica demanded.

"Just that I want to have some fun this summer. You should…" he tried to reply.

"Really? You couldn't even make it three weeks? I knew this would happen. I tried to tell you we needed to wait until the summer was over before getting back together and you wouldn't have it. This is what _you_ wanted, Logan, remember?" she yelled into the phone.

"Veronica, you don't understand" he tried again to explain and failed.

"Oh I understand perfectly. Have a nice life, Logan" she said hanging up the phone.

She sat there for a minute, just staring at her phone before breaking down into tears. It wasn't long before she heard a knock on the door. She considered not answering, but she was afraid it was someone from work. She quickly dried her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She cursed the fact that her door didn't have a peephole. She was not in the mood for surprises. She took one more deep breath and opened the door.

"You're a total ass" she informed her visitor before stepping aside to let him in.

"You jumped to conclusions" he countered.

"Tell me you didn't fly all the way across the country for a booty call, because you might end up sadly disappointed after that stunt."

"Well, if you must know, I'm here for a writing workshop. Booty calls are just a fringe benefit" he informed her with a sly grin.

"A writing workshop?" she asked incredulously, "Do you even know how to use a pen?"

"Ha. Ha. I've actually gotten a lot of practice writing lately, what with all the love letters" he quipped back.

"Love letters? And just where are these supposed love letters? I certainly didn't receive them."

"Who said they were for you?" he teased.

She playfully smacked his arm and shook her head. He pulled her to him and kissed her. She grabbed his shirt and started walking backward toward the bed, pulling him along with her.

* * *

_It's both comforting and unnerving to realize that it wasn't Neptune I was missing. Having Logan here makes it almost feel like home. Just fly in dad, Wallace, and Mac and there would be no reason to ever leave._

"How'd you know where to find me anyway?" Veronica asked as the waiter delivered her food.

"Easy. Your dad told me."

Veronica almost choked on her lasagna hearing this. Logan just laughed and insisted that he was serious.

"What lie did you tell my dad to get him to cough up that information?" she asked, sounding impressed.

"I didn't have to lie. I just told him that I was going to be in the area for the writing workshop and wanted to surprise you. He was skeptical at first, but I told him I wasn't going to screw things up this time and I really do love you" he said seriously.

"And he bought that?" she teased.

"It's the truth."

"I'm really glad you're here, you know."

"Me too, and I'm actually enjoying my writing workshop. Shocking, I know" he said with a grin.

"Since you brought it up; are you ever going to let me read anything you've written?" she asked for the hundredth time it seemed.

"Maybe. Once I'm back across the country, free from scrutiny" he finally gave in.

"Finally, victory is mine. I knew you'd cave eventually" she grinned.

"I haven't caved yet. I said maybe. You still have to earn it" he said suggestively.

"I'm sure I'll figure out a way to convince you."

"Can you get us our check please?" he asked, flagging down the nearest waitress.

Veronica just laughed. Logan was still Logan and she wouldn't have him any other way.

* * *

_Never in a million years did I think that I would want to go back to Neptune early. The FBI is great and all, but in a few days, things are going to change. I was doing fine with the whole long distance thing, but now that I know what I've been missing, it's going to be torture._

A knock at the door woke Veronica from her dream. She felt Logan get up before she could even open her eyes. She was so comfortable and didn't want to get up. She finally stretched and sat up in bed as Logan slid back under the covers, balancing a tray carefully.

"Breakfast is served" he announced, lowering the tray to her lap.

"You are my favorite person in the whole world right now" she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"You're my favorite person all the time" he replied, offering her a strawberry.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I don't have to go. We can stay here forever, just like this."

"If only that were true. Maybe we can move here after we finish school; it's so much quieter than Neptune" she said dreamily.

"Nah, east coast waves suck. But I like that you're making plans for our future. We'll find somewhere with great waves and lots of crime where we can settle down someday."

"Lots of crime?" she questioned.

"For you to solve. Gosh, I thought your deductive skills were better than that. What are they teaching you at the FBI?" he joked.

"I've gotten the impression over the years that you're less than thrilled with my extracurricular activities. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"It's part of who you are. Besides, this whole FBI thing is pretty sexy. Plus you're safer in the FBI. They'll at least wrap you in Kevlar before sending you into the trenches."

"I haven't had much use for Kevlar doing data entry" she said, shaking her head.

"You love it, even if you aren't in the field. Admit it."

"Okay, fine. But you have to admit that you're going to declare an English major when the semester starts again."

"I don't know if I'll go that far. I'm not big on writing analysis papers. Short stories might be my forte" he laughed, appreciating her confidence in him.

They were interrupted by Veronica's cell phone ringing loudly on the nightstand. She checked the caller ID and answered, getting out of bed in the process.

"Hey dad, how's it going?"

"You're losing your touch, Veronica" he said in lieu of a greeting.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"I called your landline first. You forgot to forward your calls" he said all too knowingly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I just got out of the shower" she replied, feigning innocence.

"My mistake," he said skeptically, "how is the internship going?"

"It's still going great. I think I'll be able to swing some good references to use in the future. It's all about the connections, right?"

"That's my girl. Keep up the good work and say hi to Logan for me. I'll call you later."

"Love you and miss you, dad" she said, hanging up the phone.

"My dad says hi" she informed Logan, climbing back under the covers.

He gave her a somewhat terrified look, but she just laughed. It was their last weekend together and she intended to make the most of it. One more week of the fairy tale, then the real test would start.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Catnip? It's not mine!

A/N: So my fiancé reminded me last night that Veronica Mars just isn't Veronica Mars without a mystery. So I take a break from the fluff (it's still implied) to bring you the first installment of VA mystery theater. Keep in mind this isn't Neptune, so it's not a wild case. On with the show!

Ch.4 – Back in Business

_The downside of spending every waking minute with your visiting boyfriend is that you feel even more alone than usual when he's gone. I've been here for a month and a half and I don't really know anyone outside of work, including my coworkers. Turns out, if you turn down enough offers to go out after work, everyone stops asking. And I'm usually so good at making friends, too…_

Veronica eagerly snatched up her phone the instant it rang. She waited until the third ring to answer, though. She didn't want to admit how homesick she was. She tried sounding ambivalent when she answered, but it didn't work.

"Mac-Attack! How are you?"

"I'm alright, how are you?" she replied, sounding amused.

"Good. So what's up in Neptune?" she asked in a much more normal tone.

"Not a lot, except that your boyfriend is driving me crazy."

"Yeah, Wallace told me about movie night. I'm surprised you both went with it" she said, suppressing a giggle.

"We didn't have much of a choice. He's so pathetic without you around. And who knows where his best buddy, Dick, is. Somebody has to keep him occupied for your sake" she explained with mock annoyance.

"Well, I appreciate your sacrifice," she said sarcastically, "he's not that bad is he?"

"No, but it's still weird. You need to get your ass back here. It's so boring without you."

"I still find it hard to believe that there's no mayhem going on in Neptune. I've never experienced normalcy there."

"I think it's you. Trouble is attracted to you" Mac said matter-of-factly.

"That can't be it because I haven't got to investigate anything since I've been here."

"The planets must be out of alignment or something. All I know is, this is the most boring summer I've had since meeting you."

"Aww, I miss you too, Mac. Tell Logan hi for me, since he's probably on his way over now" Veronica teased.

"If he is, I'm putting him on a plane back to Virginia when he gets here" she threatened with a laugh.

"Then I really hope he is on his way. Talk to you later."

"Bye Veronica."

As she hung up the phone, the sense of loneliness returned. She grabbed her MP3 player and wandered to her bed to lay down for a bit. She let the music wash over her and closed her eyes. She barely heard the knock on her door, but sprang up when she realized what it was. Who could it be this time?

* * *

_Okay, so I know I shouldn't get my hopes up; but what are the chances that Logan sprung for four tickets to Virginia and brought everyone I love to see me?_

Curiosity masked the disappointment that Veronica felt when she opened her door. She recognized the girl standing in front of her as one of the other interns at the FBI. She sure wasn't here to invite Veronica to a sleepover.

"Veronica?" the girl asked cautiously.

"Yeah. And you're Julie, right?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "I was just wondering if you had seen a purple gym bag; maybe in the lobby?"

"Sorry, I haven't. Did you leave it somewhere?" Veronica probed gently.

"I don't think I did, but I can't find it anywhere. I was just hoping someone had seen it."

"Was there anything important in it that someone might want to take?" she asked in true detective form.

"Well, that's why I need to find it so bad. My jewelry was in there; but no one knew that, so I can't figure out why somebody would take it."

"Hmm… where is the last place you remember having it?"

"That's the really strange part. It's been in my room since I went to the gym earlier this afternoon. I _know _I brought it up with me, but after I got out of the shower, it was gone. It had to have been stolen, don't you think?"

"It does sound awfully suspicious" Veronica admitted.

"Will you help me find it?" Julie asked abruptly.

"I'll do what I can, but we only have a week left of the internship and I have to fly back to California."

"That's why I need your help. I haven't really made any friends here and you seem so interested in all the FBI investigation stuff. Please?" she pleaded again, "My fiancé will kill me if he finds out my ring is gone."

"Don't worry; I'll do everything I can to help" she reassured the girl.

Veronica asked a few more standard questions about the bag, the contents of the bag, how many people were in the fitness room with her, etc. The girl (she didn't look a day over 15, even though she was probably older than Veronica) seemed pretty shaken, so it was likely that she really had just misplaced the bag. Veronica suggested that they start by retracing Julie's steps for clues.

They scoured the hallways, the lobby and the elevator before reaching the fitness center. As they stepped inside, the girl squealed. Veronica immediately saw why. There was a purple gym bag in the corner of the room. So much for that mystery…

"That's it!" Julie exclaimed, running over to check the contents. "Wait… my jewelry. It's not here."

"Somebody must have found the bag and ransacked it" Veronica said apologetically.

"But nothing else has moved. It's like they knew where go" she whispered into the air.

"Who saw you put your jewelry in the bag?"

"No one. I was alone in my room when I did it" Julie stated firmly.

Veronica looked around the room and back at the bag. What was she missing?

"Julie, which machine were you using earlier?"

"That one over there" she pointed to an elliptical along the opposite wall.

"If you were using that machine, why did you put your bag over here?" she questioned.

"I didn't. I told you, I took my bag upstairs with me when I was through. Plus, it was in the cubby the whole time I was down here."

_So somebody broke into this girl's hotel room, took her gym bag, stole the jewelry out of it, and then put the bag in the fitness center to make it look like a crime of opportunity. This case just got a whole lot more interesting. And I only have four days to solve it. Where's the Scooby gang when you need them? Oh yeah, back in Neptune...  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Clearly I had nothing to do with Veronica Mars because it takes me weeks and weeks to come up with one measly mystery story line.

A/N: Since the last chapter was sorely lacking fluff, I made sure to make up for it in this one. Sorry for all the phone calls, but it was the only way to involve the Neptunians.

Ch.5 – Friends Forever?

_So I guess it's true what they say. You never know what you have 'til it's gone. A P.I. needs trusted, reliable resources to assist her; and all of mine are on the other side of the continent. Thank God for nation-wide calling plans. _

"Hey. I was just about to call you" Veronica said brightly, answering Logan's call.

"Were you? My psychic powers must be kicking in to overdrive" he replied amusedly.

"Yeah. I have a question for you."

"Uh oh. That sounds like your business tone. What have you gotten yourself into?" he asked warily.

"Nothing to worry about. Just trying to track down some stolen jewelry for someone. Is there any way that someone other than you could get a keycard made for your room at The Grand?"

"No, but I can have extras made. But of course, you know that already."

"Well, what happens to the cards that get returned?"

"They're supposed to get erased. I suppose someone that worked there could take a card, but there's a log that gets filled out whenever a card gets created or erased. Anyone who works there can create a keycard, but it gets logged in the computer automatically. Are you trying to get into someone else's room?"

"No. I'm trying to find out how someone could get into her room while she was in the shower without her hearing it. They would have had to have a key right?"

"Maybe she made a card for someone and they never turned it in" he suggested.

"The computer records would show that, right?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, but how are you going to get the computer records?"

"I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with snack" she quipped.

"Three thousand miles means nothing to you, does it?" he laughed.

"Only when it keeps me away from you."

"God, I miss you. You better call Mac before you make me fly cross-country again."

"I love you" she said without hesitation.

"I love you, too. Call me later" he replied before reluctantly hanging up.

Veronica stared at her phone in wonderment for a good thirty seconds before snapping out of her daze and dialing Mac's number.

"Hey Veronica, how's it going?"

"Good. Just trying to solve a crime in three days, no biggie" she said casually.

"Ooh, you finally found a paying gig out there on the east coast?" Mac asked eagerly.

"Actually, we didn't talk about compensation. I think I'm investigating this one for free" Veronica realized for the first time.

"Wow, you've gone soft since leaving Neptune. Either that or you're just really bored."

"I think it's the latter. Speaking of boredom; could you do me favor?" she asked sweetly.

"And I suppose I'll be doing this favor for free since you've gone soft on me?"

"I just need you to hack into the database and find out if one of the other interns still has a working keycard floating around somewhere."

"Oh, is that all?" Mac asked sarcastically.

"Can you do it?"

"For you? Anything. We'll call it your early welcome home present" she laughed.

"Thanks, Mac. You're the greatest."

"I know. I'll call you when I know something."

* * *

_It's nice to know that my connections are strong enough to span the globe. Now to dig a little deeper into this story; what haven't you told me yet miss Julie?_

"I need to know about any visitors you've had since you've been here. Did you give anyone a keycard to your room maybe?" Veronica asked pointedly.

"Just my fiancé, but he returned his keycard. I'm sure of it. Oh, and my best friend came to visit, but she never had a keycard because she stayed with her aunt" Julie answered sincerely.

"And you're sure that you didn't hear anything while you were in the shower?" she asked skeptically.

Julie shook her head and looked apologetic. Veronica walked around the room looking for clues she might have missed. Nothing looked even remotely like it had been disturbed. She hoped that Mac would find something out about the keycards because she wasn't having much luck here. She assured Julie that she would be in touch and went back to her room to think some more. Mac called back sooner than she thought and she answered quickly.

"Find out anything?" she asked eagerly.

"Well, there was a keycard written a few weeks ago, but it was erased a few days later. It couldn't have been used to open her door" Mac reported.

"Back to square one then; I knew it couldn't be that simple. Thanks for checking for me, though. I owe you one."

"Eh, it was easy. A walk in the park for someone of my caliber."

"I knew it would be. So how are things in Neptune?" she asked, changing the subject.

"You mean, how's Logan?" she questioned knowingly.

"And you and Wallace, too" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, Wallace and I are bored, but doing well. As for your boyfriend, he hasn't been bugging us as much since Dick came home."

"As much? You mean he's still hanging out with you guys even though his party buddy is back?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah. He's not so bad when he's not moping around. He misses you, you know. We all do" she admitted.

"You have no idea, Mac. I'm so excited to see you guys in a few days. At this point I just want to find this girl's ring and get on a plane."

"So do it already, geez."

"I'm working on it. Thanks again for helping me out."

"Anytime. Just make sure we get paid next time" she laughed.

No sooner had she hung up with Mac that her phone rang again. She groaned inwardly until she looked at the caller ID and saw Logan's name. She smiled and answered happily.

"How's your case going?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"It's at a standstill. Mac checked the keycards and the extra one got erased. There's no sign of forced entry and nothing in the room was disturbed. I thought about her friend, but she never had the keycard and she supposedly left town right before the ring got stolen. Hotel staff wouldn't have known to go directly to her gym bag, right?" she voiced her thoughts out loud.

"Maybe it was the friend. She could have lied about leaving early. How were you planning to get into the hotel room when we were looking for my mother?"

"I was going to sweet talk the maintenance guy into letting me in the room. Am I losing my touch or something? I should have talked to maintenance already" she said dumbfounded.

"You're not losing your touch; I'm just getting better at being a super sleuth. I've been helping your dad out while you've been gone" he announced proudly.

"You and my dad? I don't think I'm okay with you two hanging out" she said nervously.

"Don't worry, I've only called you bobcat twice" he joked.

"That's not funny" she warned, causing Logan to laugh.

"I'm being good, I promise. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is get on your dad's bad side."

"Fine. Hang out with my dad. See if I care" she quipped, "I hear you haven't had much time lately for bugging my friends since Dick came home. What have you guys been up to anyway?"

"You know; the usual. Surfing; and playing wingman in the never-ending quest to get Dick laid."

"You'd think that all of woman-kind would have gotten the memo about him by now" she laughed.

"Actually, his standards have improved a bit this summer. He likes them literate now. Makes my job harder" he mock complained.

"Wonders never cease" she said in amazement.

"So now that you've given me the third degree; don't you think it's time to put the screws to some maintenance men?" Logan asked with only the slightest hint of hurt from feeling like she still didn't trust him.

"Don't be silly; that was first degree at best. Mere curiosity. I like imagining what you're doing every moment of every day that we're not together" she assured him; picking up on his insecurity and being determined to dispel it.

"I'm thinking about you, that's what I'm doing" he said with a smile, "now go solve your mystery so you can come home already."

* * *

_Getting people to confess to a crime has always been my favorite part of any investigation. Having to break bad news to people is my least favorite part. Time to destroy another friendship, Veronica; brace yourself._

Veronica steeled herself before knocking on Julie's door. Julie answered with a hopeful look on her face. It didn't make things any easier.

"So? Did you find out anything?"

"Well, I talked to the maintenance guy that was working when your stuff was stolen. He admitted to letting in a girl who claimed your room was hers. He said she cried and told him that she locked her keycard in the room. I think it might have been Abby. The description he gave me of the girl fits" she said as quickly as possible.

Julie took the news better than Veronica had suspected she would. She asked if there was any way for them to know for sure. Veronica got the phone number from Julie and called Meredith, pretending she was a police officer. She claimed that they had found fingerprints on the inside of the gym bag and that was all it took. Julie's friend admitted to taking the jewelry and Veronica put her on speakerphone so Julie could talk to her.

"Why would you steal from me? You're my best friend."

"It was so stupid. But I was hoping that if you lost your engagement ring, Billy might call off the wedding" was the lame reply she received.

"You don't want me to get married?" Julie asked, confused.

"I like Billy," Meredith admitted, "I always have. It's hard for me to let that go, but I think I can if you'll forgive me. I understand if you never want to speak to me again, though."

"Do you still have the ring?" Julie asked.

"Of course I do. I'll have it waiting for you when you get home, I promise."

"Well, we'll talk when I get home then."

"I'm so sorry, Julie. I hope you can forgive me because I realized when I got home that no guy should come between friends and I wanted to call you and tell you what I did, but I was afraid you would never talk to me again" Meredith said, sounding somewhat relieved.

Veronica listened to their conversation in shock. Julie never even sounded angry.

"You're a better friend than I am," Veronica told her, "aren't you angry with her?"

"She's my best friend. I feel bad that I didn't realize that she still had feelings for Billy. I mean, I knew she liked him when we first started dating, but I thought she got over that a long time ago. I can't really blame her for temporarily going crazy. We all do that sometimes, don't we?" she explained reasonably.

_I have to admit, Julie has a point. After everything I've experienced in the past few years, I shouldn't be so surprised about the nature of friendship. As much as I enjoy getting revenge on my enemies, I do tend to forgive my friends for wrongdoings. I guess there really is such a thing as being friends forever. _


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it.

A/N: So sorry for the delay. This is a short chapter, but I already have the next one laid out. Hopefully it won't take too long to write it up and get it posted.

Ch. 6 – Home Sweet Home

_The problem with a summer internship is that when you get home, you have very little time to readjust before life, and school, start catching back up with you. I've only been back a week and Mac and Wallace are already back on campus. In some ways, it's like I never left._

"Hey, did you guys finish moving?" Veronica asked as she and Mac approached the table that Wallace and Logan were sitting at.

"Yep. Wallace is all settled in his new digs" Logan replied, standing up to greet her with a kiss.

"Did the new roommate show up yet?" she asked Wallace directly.

"Not yet," he said ambivalently, "but I'm sure he'll be decent."

"I'm really sorry I cost you your roommate" she apologized yet again.

"I told you not to worry about that. Piz and I are still friends; he just thought it would be easier for everybody if he didn't room with me this year. And I think he was right. So quit bringing it up already" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, okay. So touchy" she joked.

"Come on, Wallace, let's go get these girls some food" Logan suggested.

The boys wandered to the food line, leaving the girls alone at the table.

"So how are things going with you and Logan since you got home? They seem to be going good" Mac observed.

"They are. It's nice to have some passion back in my life without all the drama that usually comes with it. Speaking of drama and passion; how's Max doing?" she asked.

"He's gearing up for the start of the school year. I still can't get him to re-enroll, but what can you do?"

"Beat him into submission?" Veronica suggested with a laugh.

"I was kidding," she clarified when Mac didn't seem to find her comment humorous.

Mac shook her head slightly and Veronica's confusion melted away when she heard a familiar voice speak up behind her.

"You know, I didn't want to be right" Piz said with a bit of a bite to his tone.

"What did you expect when you left me stranded on the beach?" she demanded, turning around in her chair to face him.

"I don't know. I was hoping you would fight for me; for us. Not prove me right by running back to that jackass" he responded angrily.

"You didn't try very hard to fight for me, either" she snapped back.

"Just because I don't beat the crap out of everyone who talks to you doesn't mean I didn't fight for us."

"That's not what I meant," she said forcefully, "remind me again; How many times did you call to check up on me after you left me at the beach?"

Piz stood there; face falling, unable to answer. Veronica gave him a look like 'that's what I thought' and turned back to Mac as he walked away. They shared a knowing look and Veronica tried to regain her composure as the boys returned with food. Logan placed a tray in front of her and kissed her forehead.

"You okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied with a smile before digging in to the random cafeteria food assortment platter Logan had given her.

Piz watched from across the room as he was clearly forgotten, again, the moment Logan arrived. And to make matters worse, even Wallace seemed chummy with him. It was going to be a long year.

* * *

"I thought your grand plan was to avoid Veronica this semester" Wallace said when Piz opened the door.

"It was, but then I saw them together and something in me just snapped" Piz explained, moving aside so Wallace could come in the room.

"Man, you've got to chill if you don't want your ribs broken again" Wallace warned him.

"Whatever, I'm not scared of that jackass. I just don't understand why someone as cool as Veronica can fall for that crap every time. She just ran back to him the first chance she got."

"You left her stranded on the beach. What did you expect her to do?"

"Everyone keeps saying that. I don't know; I thought maybe she'd come after me. I waited in the parking lot for twenty minutes and she never showed."

"Veronica doesn't just chase after people who leave her. Not since her mother ran off for the second time with fifty grand anyway."

"But she didn't have to go to him. She could have called you or Mac, but she didn't" Piz said petulantly.

"She didn't go to him. He saw her crying and wanted to make sure she was okay" Wallace informed him.

"She couldn't have been that upset. When I went by her house later to apologize, I saw his car outside."

"Yeah, he took her home and made sure she was settled in before he left; but then she called me and I went over there. Then when you didn't call her, she figured it was really over."

"It was over that day in the cafeteria," he sighed, "I just thought she was over all the violence."

"That's how their world works, Piz. She was mad when he hurt _you_ because you were innocent, but Veronica and Logan need revenge to get over their issues, whether it's healthy or not. Bottom line is – they get each other. And if I were you, I'd follow my original plan and just steer clear" Wallace advised.

Piz sighed and collapsed on his bed after Wallace left. He knew his friend had a point, but he just didn't think he could let it go. Veronica had said she wanted him to fight for her. Maybe he still had a chance and he wasn't about to waste it.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Still not mine :(

A/N: I'm positively giddy from all the reviews from the last chapter. As a thank you, here's the next chapter already. I'm on a roll and I'm almost done with Ch.8 already, too, but no promises because I could decide I hate it and start all over again (which happens to me a lot). Thanks again and I hope you enjoy!

Ch. 7 - Pod People, Pt. 1

Veronica tried to begin evasive maneuvers, but it was too late. Piz had spotted her and was making his way toward her. If she turned and ran away now, it would be too obvious. She was considering it anyway after the way he talked to her the other day. Instead, she settled on a half-smile and a slight head tilt.

"Hey Piz, what's up?" she greeted him awkwardly.

"Hi Veronica. I'm sorry about the other day," he began.

"It's fine," she interrupted, hoping the conversation would end there.

"No, it's not. I was a jerk," he said breaking eye contact and looking behind her.

"I'm telling you, it's fine. Things didn't really turn out the way I expected them to, either, you know." Piz put his hand on her arm and squeezed it slightly. She shook it off and made eye contact again.

"That's not what I meant" she said firmly.

"Oh. No, me neither" he tried to assure her.

He touched her arm again and she noticed that his smile had turned into a smirk, giving her a bad feeling. She turned around only to see Logan walking in the other direction. "Really?" she said angrily as she spun back around.

"What? I can't help it if your boyfriend is a jealous asshole with bad temper."

"I liked you better when you were a genuinely nice guy, Piz. Just leave me alone, okay?" she said shaking her head while walking away.

"Well that backfired" Piz mumbled to himself as he watched her go.

He supposed he would have to go back to the drawing board with this one. Veronica tried calling Logan's cell, but he didn't answer. She hoped it was just on silent and that he wasn't screening her calls. She considered skipping class to find him, but ultimately decided against it. Sometimes a little cooling off time was a good thing.

* * *

_Okay, Veronica. You knew the real world would catch up with you eventually. Time to man up and get this over with_.

Veronica knocked nervously on Logan's door after psyching herself up for a good five minutes. She was a little surprised at how quickly he opened the door. He looked upset, so she started her apology immediately.

"Logan, what you saw today was not what it looked like," she began.

"Veronica, can we talk about this later?" He interrupted.

"Please let me explain. Healthy relationship, remember?"

"I'm not trying to blow you off," he said more gently, "I was just getting ready to walk out the door. I have to go pick up Dick."

"Okay," she said slowly, still not quite convinced that he wasn't avoiding her.

"Look, I would ask you to come with me, but Dick tends to start talking about his brother when he's drunk lately and I know you don't want to be around for that. Can you please just wait in here until I get back? If I don't leave now, he's going to try to drive himself home and I can't take being responsible for anyone else dying" he said, frustration returning.

Veronica barely stopped herself from trying to remind him that Cassidy's death wasn't his fault. She just nodded her head and gave him a kiss before stepping past him into the room so he could leave. He gave her a grateful look and let the door shut naturally behind him. She sat down and clicked on the tv, but didn't pay attention to what was on. She was lost in thought when she felt her phone vibrate. She looked down at it to see a new text.

'I love you'

She smiled and relaxed a bit. He must have been in the elevator when he sent it. She put on the news and it wasn't long before she heard him return with Dick in tow.

"Okay. Off to bed with you now," Logan directed.

"Hey, look, it's Veronica. Hey Veronica" Dick slurred, making a beeline for the couch.

"Hi Dick," she said uncomfortably.

"Veronica, I'm sorry I left my brother alone with you at Shelly's party," he said, sitting next to her on the couch,

"I didn't think he'd actually do anything. I was stupid for giving him such a hard time. Forgive me?"

"Um, sure," she said awkwardly, pushing him away as he leaned into her.

She couldn't figure out how he knew about what happened to her that night. It was unsettling to say the least. Logan grabbed Dick's arm and started pulling him toward his bedroom. He gave her an apologetic look and disappeared for a few seconds. When he returned, he sat next to her on the couch and promised that Dick was out cold and wouldn't get up until the morning.

"You weren't kidding. I did not want to be around for that," she said, still processing what he said.

"Yeah. I was hoping to spare you from that forever. Sorry. So, you wanted to talk, right?" he asked, gracefully changing the subject.

"Right," she said, nervousness returning, "I know you saw Piz talking to me earlier and I swear there was nothing going on between us. He was supposedly apologizing. Then he kept touching my arm and I saw you walking away. I tried to call you, but you didn't answer. I was afraid you thought there was something going on."

"Veronica, I'm not mad. I knew he was trying to bait me. Besides, do you honestly think that I can't read your body language by now? I walked away to keep from punching him in his smug little face again."

"I wouldn't have minded very much this time," she laughed.

"That's good to know," he smiled.

There was a knock on the door and Logan got up to answer it.

"Maybe it's him and I can sucker punch him for old time's sake," he said as he approached the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked the visitor angrily.

Veronica couldn't see who it was, but she recognized the voice that responded.

"I need to talk to Veronica, is she here?"

"She's here, but you can't talk to her. You've done all the damage you're going to do here."

"It's okay, Logan. I'm curious to hear what she has to say," Veronica said, standing up.

She regretted her decision when she saw Madison walking toward her. Madison stopped about a foot away from Veronica and looked at Logan. He looked at Veronica, who nodded her head slightly, and went into his bedroom, shutting the door.

"Well?" Veronica prompted after a few seconds.

"Look, I didn't know that the drink I gave you at Shelly's party had GHB in it. As much as I can't stand you, I wouldn't have done that to anyone on purpose," she said matter-of-factly.

"And what prompted this change of heart?"

"It's not a change of heart. I told you, I didn't know the drink was spiked."

"I told you when we were still in high school that I was drugged at that party" Veronica said incredulously.

"Yeah, but I didn't believe you."

"And you suddenly believe me now?" Veronica asked skeptically.

"Well, when Dick called me, crying, to apologize for trying to roofie me that night, I put two and two together."

Veronica didn't know how to respond. For the first time, she let it sink in that if Madison hadn't given her the drink that night, Madison herself would have been drugged. It had been easy to blame everything on a girl that she already hated, but now she was here with an almost apology. When Veronica just stood there, dumbfounded, Madison got irritated and shrugged her shoulders.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry. I don't want you to think we're friends now or anything, but that whole situation was messed up and it wasn't my intention. I just thought you should know."

"Thanks," Veronica finally managed to spit out. Madison turned to leave and paused when she got to the door.

"I saw him crying in Aspen last winter break. I assume it had something to do with you," she said quietly before strutting out into the hallway.

Veronica stood shell-shocked. This was the most bizarre day ever. She heard Logan's bedroom door open and turned to face him.

"Everything okay?" he asked tentatively.

"I think so," she replied, still weirded out.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

"There's not much to tell. She apologized for drugging me and said she didn't know that the drink was spiked. Apparently spitting in someone's drink is acceptable behavior, but a roofie-colada crosses the line."

"At least there is a line, right?" Logan offered.

"Yeah. Who knew? God I'm exhausted," she sighed, sinking down onto the couch.

Logan sat down, too, and put his arm around her. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. When she opened them again a different show was on tv and her neck was so tight she could barely move it. She gently moved away from Logan so she could check the time and almost had a heart attack when she saw what time it was. She stood up so fast, she woke up Logan.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled groggily.

"We fell asleep. It's almost morning," she said in a panicked voice, "My dad's going to kill me!"

"No, you're dad's going to kill me," he corrected.

"I gotta go," she insisted.

"I don't think showing up at dawn is going to be much better than staying out all night. Just come to bed with me," he said sensibly.

"But he's going to know I was here all night," she protested.

"I'm pretty sure he knows we've spent the night together before. Check your phone; has he tried to call you?" He asked patiently.

"No," she admitted after checking, "but he's probably still asleep. I can get there before he wakes up."

"Veronica, you're an adult. You're dad can handle it. Besides, you won't even have to lie when you tell him we fell asleep on the couch. But we both need a real bed now, and mine's the closest."

"Fine," she finally relented, "but don't say I didn't warn you."

Logan finally stood up and grabbed Veronica's hand, leading her toward the bedroom.

A/N: It always bothered me that Veronica never acknowledged the fact that Madison was the original target of the spiked drink. I also think it's fun to throw V off her game a little. Next chapter should be fun if I can get it out of my head the right way. Fingers crossed! (p.s. - maybe more reviews will help...)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. They literally make my day. I hope you enjoy chapter 8; it's quite a bit longer than usual. I don't know what I'm going to do for the next chapter, but it occurs to me that I need to bring Weevil in at some point. My apologies in advance if chapter 9 takes awhile to get posted.

Disclaimer – Do I look like I own something as fabulous as Veronica Mars?

Ch. 8 - Pod People, Pt. 2

_You're an adult, Veronica. You can make your own decisions. Dad will understand... Yeah right. I'm dead. Better just get this over with._

Veronica turned the doorknob slowly and peeked her head into the apartment. Her dad was sitting on the couch looking at some paperwork. She gathered all her courage and stepped inside.

"Hey, Dad" she said as normally as possible.

"Veronica, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he replied.

"What?" she asked, caught off-guard by his attitude as well as his words.

"I mean, you don't call, you don't write, and now here you are."

"Dad, I'm sorry," she began, finally catching on, "I was at Logan's and we fell asleep on the couch. I didn't mean to; and then I didn't have time to come home before class. Did I mention that I'm sorry?"

"It's okay. Logan called earlier and explained the whole thing. Said he stopped you from trying to drive home while you were half asleep, so he can be intelligent when he wants to be. He did not, however, explain why you had a change of clothes at his place. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd stayed there before" Keith rambled, laughing to himself as he watched his daughter's facial expression change several times as he talked.

"I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions" she said without much conviction, more to her self than to her father.

"Clearly," he replied slightly sarcastically. "Just don't make a habit out of it. I still think of you as a little girl in sundresses and pigtails, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I'm sorry if I made you worry" she said seriously.

"It's okay. This time. Besides, you left your cell phone on. I knew you were okay" he said with a smile and a wink.

Veronica just nodded, walked into her bedroom, and closed the door. What had just happened? It was like the last few days had happened in some alternate universe. Had the whole town been abducted while she was gone and been replaced with pod people? She pulled her phone out of her pocket and hit speed dial.

"How'd it go?" Logan asked without even looking to see who had called.

"You called my dad?" Veronica asked, still baffled.

"I couldn't think of anything else that might help. Are you mad?"

"No, just shocked. I think my dad was genuinely impressed by it. He finally just told me not to make a habit out of it. I think he's a pod person."

"Impressed is not quite what I got out of the conversation, but I'll take it" he said, remembering quite well what Keith had thought about his decision to call on behalf of Veronica.

"Well, if Veronica really is as upset about this as you say she is, I'll take it easy on her. But just know that you aren't on the other side of the country anymore. She's my daughter and she lives under my roof, and I expect a certain level of respect from both of you. I don't care how old either of you are, either. I'll buy last night as an accident, but I know damn well it's not the first time she's stayed over and I can't condone that. You're too young and Veronica has too much potential. I think you know where I'm going with this, so I'll just let you stew on that for awhile. Oh, and don't tell Veronica about this part of our little talk. I'll know if you did."

"I mean it. I think he really likes you now that you spent time together over the summer" Veronica said, bringing Logan out of his reverie.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe" he replied non-commitally, finding it incredibly difficult not to tell her everything her father had said to him. Maybe he should have just let Veronica handle this one.

* * *

It was a few weeks into the new semester and Veronica was finally starting to adjust back to her normal life. Her friends and family had stopped acting like pod people and were predictable again. Well, everyone except Logan. He had started taking her out for actual dates that always ended in him dropping her off at home well before midnight. They were only ever alone together during the day, usually between classes. He actually tried making plans to hang out with her friends and do things she usually couldn't convince him to do with her.

_Remember back in the day when you complained that he didn't want to do anything __**but**__ have sex with you? I know I should be happy, but it just seems unnatural. It would just be nice if one of these romantic dates actually ended romantically._

Logan was sitting on his couch, half-watching something random on tv. He knew his strange behavior was upsetting Veronica, but he didn't know what else to do. He had thought she would be happy now that he was taking her out and sitting through boring events with her. She kept hinting that she didn't want to go home after their dates, but if he took her back to his place, Keith might very well hire someone to off him. It was enough to drive him insane.

He had never cared what a girl's parents had thought before. He had never really cared what Keith thought before, but something had changed. After spending more time with Veronica's dad over the summer, he realized how much influence Keith had on his daughter. The thought that he might be able to influence Veronica enough to leave Logan was terrifying. He didn't really think that would happen, but he was scared of it anyhow.

He heard his door open and felt relieved. He assumed it was Dick and was glad at the prospect of a distraction from his thoughts. Of course, he had forgotten about giving Veronica her room key back.

She walked in and dropped an overnight bag next to the couch. She was on his lap before he could even say hello, let alone protest her staying the night. She started kissing him and took off her jacket. He was surprised to feel that the back of her shirt was made of lace. He didn't know she owned a lace shirt. She pulled away from him briefly and when he opened his eyes, his mouth fell open as well. Her lace 'shirt' wasn't really a shirt at all. His brain ceased to function properly at this point and his body took over as he carried her to the bedroom.

* * *

Logan was pulled out of his unconscious state by a relentless banging on his door. He hadn't slept for shit last night and this was the last thing he needed. Only the thought (hope) that it might be Veronica on the other side of the door convinced him to get out of bed. When he opened the door, though, he vehemently wished he hadn't.

"So now you treat my daughter like a whore? What part of respect do you not understand?" Keith demanded, pushing his way past Logan into his living room.

"This is your fault, you know. What part of _that_ don't you understand?" Logan shot back.

"You think you can just have your way with people and then kick them out without so much as an explanation?" Keith continued to yell.

"You made it quite clear to me that she couldn't stay here anymore and also that I couldn't tell her why. What did you expect would happen?" Logan asked wearily, suddenly feeling the affects of not sleeping most of the night very acutely.

"It's not the _sleeping_ part I mind, Logan," he said suppressing the urge to lash out. He settled for muttering under his breath; "So much for thinking you were intelligent."

"Look, I tried. I tried really hard. But Veronica can be very persuasive, and I don't mean that to sound crass. It's just the truth" Logan said, sitting on the couch with his hand pressed to his face.

Keith didn't know how to respond to that. Nothing in Logan's tone sounded sarcastic. He sighed. His daughter was not a little girl anymore. He had no choice but to believe that Veronica had initiated whatever had gone on the night before. But that did not excuse the behavior that followed. With a renewed anger at remembering the sound of his daughter crying in the shower and having to pry the truth out of her about why she was upset, he continued his tirade.

"That still doesn't explain what you did. Why didn't you just let her stay? Why kick her out?" Keith asked, bewildered at the young man's logic.

"She said she told you she was staying at Mac's. So I told her she had to go to Mac's. I just didn't want her lying to you because of me. Of course, she didn't believe that I cared at all what you thought, so she got mad and stormed out. I tried to call her, but she had turned her phone off so you couldn't track her. I even went to Mac's dorm and tried beating down her door to explain myself, but Mac came out with Veronica's taser and threatened to do some not very nice things to me until I left. I wasn't trying to hurt her" he confessed, a lump forming in his throat at the end.

"I never really expected you to listen to anything I said," Keith admitted, "Let me talk to her. Whether I like it or not, you make her happy, and I don't want to ruin that for her."

* * *

Keith took the long way home, trying to figure out what he was going to tell his daughter. It hurt to admit his part in making her so upset. He had assumed that she stayed the night at Logan's when she turned her phone off. He had double checked with the security guard on duty that her car was in the parking garage at the hotel. So when he heard Veronica crying in the shower, he was already prepared to kill Logan. He hadn't expected for her to tell him exactly what had happened, but he cornered her anyway.

"Honey, did something happen between you and Logan last night? I know you stayed there" he started out gently.

"No, I didn't, I stayed at Mac's. That's the problem" she said bitterly, trying not to cry again.

"Okay. I don't get it" Keith admitted.

"He practically pushed me out the door, like some kind of hooker" she hadn't meant to say it, but she was just so confused and frustrated.

Keith didn't want to hear anything else about it. He hugged his daughter and just left the house. He ignored the fact that she yelled 'Dad, no' after him. Now he almost wished he had just let them deal with it on their own. She would have come home and yelled at him for threatening her boyfriend, sure, but now he had to be the one to tell her he'd done it. He honestly had not thought that Logan would scare that easily. He never had in the past. Things were getting serious if he wanted so badly to stay on Keith's good side. And that was the most terrifying thought of all.

* * *

Veronica sat cross-legged on her bed, going over the events of the last 24 hours in her head. She really shouldn't have said anything to her father. Mac was probably right and she was falling victim to her own insecurities. When had Mac become such a relationship guru anyway? Of course, she only developed her theory after she chased Logan away. He was so hot and cold lately and she couldn't take it anymore. That's why she had refused to see him. She knew he would convince her to come home with him and forget that anything bad had happened and she wanted him to suffer. What had he said to Mac before leaving? She had been looking forward to jabbing him with the taser when she left the room, but when she came back in, she was singing a different tune.

"Are you sure that he didn't want you to stay?" Mac asked when she reentered the room.

"Mac; he told me to leave. He told me that I had to stay with you since I told dad I was staying here. Since when has he cared if I lie to my dad about staying there? There's something else going on; I just don't know what" she ranted.

"Then why did he drive all the way to campus to try talking to you?" Mac prompted.

"Because he's insane. That's what Logan does. He screws up royally and then tries to pull some grand gesture to make you forget about what a jackass he is. He just did it to you" she pointed out.

"Hey, all I'm saying is that maybe you let your insecurities color the situation. Maybe he really just didn't want you lying to your dad."

"Come on, Mac, this is Logan we're talking about. Besides, my dad pretty much gave me permission to stay there. He just said not to make it a habit. I only lied to dad out of habit" she said with a sigh.

"Didn't Logan talk to your dad?" Mac asked, waiting for a nod of agreement from Veronica before continuing. "Maybe your dad told him something different from what he told you. Like, 'If I catch you sleeping with my daughter again, I'll chop off your balls' or whatever. Dads do that sort of thing" Mac said reasonably.

"Not my dad," Veronica insisted, "he knows better than that. Besides, we didn't stop having sex. He just started kicking me out afterward."

But what Mac said had made Veronica think. That was part of why she told her dad anything at all this morning. She thought that he might confess if he had said anything that might provoke Logan to act like he did. But, no, he just stormed out of the house to make things worse. Was she really that insecure about their relationship? Maybe she shouldn't have gotten angry when he suggested she go to Mac's. Maybe she should have just taken her clothes off again. She sighed for the hundredth time. There was nothing to do now but wait for her dad to get home. She just hoped that neither of them ended up in the hospital or in jail, or worse.

* * *

Logan waited on the couch all morning after Keith left, listening for a knock on the door. He passed out at one point, exhausted, but somehow knew that she hadn't tried to come by. She had a key, after all. She would have woken him up. He was about to give up and go for a walk to clear his head, when he heard his door open slowly. He knew it wasn't Dick because he had high-tailed it out of there as soon as Keith left and told Logan he would see him on Monday. That was typical Dick behavior; not that he blamed him for it. He leaned forward and saw Veronica hesitating in the doorway. She came in and joined him on the couch once they made eye contact.

"I'm so sorry, Veronica. I never meant to make you feel like, well, you know" Logan trailed off.

"You should have just told me what my dad said."

Veronica let herself lean into him as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"I was so afraid of losing you again that I acted like an idiot and almost lost you" he mused, running his fingers through her hair.

"Why were you so afraid of losing me?"

"I know how important your dad is to you. When he was lecturing me, all I could think about was how someday I'll need his blessing and I can't afford to have him hate me" he explained truthfully.

"You'll need his blessing?" she asked, amused. "For what?"

As soon as she said it, she realized what he meant. He didn't respond and she knew he was waiting on her reaction to his confession.

"Logan" she said urgently, turning to face him.

She didn't know what her reaction was. She needed something more from him, but she didn't know what.

"You've never thought about it?" he challenged.

"We're only twenty."

"That's why I said someday" he reminded her. "Besides, it wasn't really a conscious thought. More of a feeling that I just now put words to."

"Oh" she responded, not knowing how she felt about that.

"You," he said (poking her nose for emphasis), "are impossible to please."

How was it that he could leave her feeling so infuriated, so conflicted, so... breathless, without even trying?

"No one writes songs about the ones that come easy" she said with a smile.

Why did that sound so familiar to him? He had the feeling that a long lost memory was trying to surface. He didn't have time to place it, though, because before he knew it, he was being kissed.

A/N: I'm still of the belief that Logan doesn't *quite* remember his "epic" speech. But Veronica, like the rest of us, has it burned into her memory forever.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: So… still no Weevil, but I had this idea from the beginning, so it was about time I did something with it.

Disclaimer – No infringement intended. Ever.

Ch. 9 – The Protector

It was the first time Veronica had seen Gorya Sorokin since the infamous cafeteria incident. He was standing a mere six feet away from her and Logan as they stood in line for coffee. She pretended as though she hadn't seen him and pointedly did not inform Logan that he was nearby. She had to admit, it put her a little on edge.

_For a guy with supposed connections with the mob, he sure has been light on the revenge. What's he waiting for? _

As if summoned, Gory broke away from his group as they passed by. Logan spotted him as he approached and shifted so he was halfway in front of Veronica.

"You know, Clarence Wiedman won't be around to protect you two forever. So don't get too comfortable living" Gory spat quietly before strutting away in the direction of his cronies.

Veronica and Logan shared equally incredulous looks, as if telepathically trying to confirm that they had heard the same thing.

"Clarence Weidman?" Veronica finally asked aloud. "Why would he be protecting us? I'm pretty sure Jake Kane still wants me dead."

"That makes two of us" Logan stated, shaking his head in disbelief.

They stepped out of line, no longer feeling the need for caffeine, and sat at the closest table.

"Logan, you don't think..."

"Duncan" he nodded.

"Do you think he's back?" Veronica asked, unable to hide the twinge of excitement she felt.

"I doubt it. He must have been keeping in contact the whole time."

"So Weidman must know where to find him."

"Veronica, no. I know what you're thinking and the answer is no" Logan said seriously.

"But it's Duncan. We can at least get a message to him..." she trailed off at her boyfriend's expression.

"He's in hiding for a reason. Don't you think it would seem a little suspicious for us to start chatting up Clarence Weidman?"

"I know," she said with a sigh, "you're right. But I still think we could-"

Logan silenced her by gently placing a finger on her lips.

"For once in your life will you just listen to me?" he pleaded.

"I _do_ listen to you" she said defensively.

"Okay fine, you listen to what I have to say, but then you dismiss it if it isn't what you want to hear. All I'm asking for is a little trust."

The words struck Veronica like a viper. It wasn't an unfamiliar sentiment, but that was why it hurt so badly.

"Okay," she said in a small voice, "I'll let it go."

* * *

Logan walked into his bedroom and closed the door, after making sure that Dick wasn't home first. He opened one of his drawers and pulled out a non-descript, cheap looking cell phone. He dialed a number and began to pace across the room. A nervous voice suddenly came from the other end.

"L? What's wrong? What happened? Is V okay?"

"Well hello to you, too, Buttercup" he replied. "Word on the street is that you hired CW for my protection. How did you know I needed protection?"

"I didn't. CW is an ongoing project. He's supposed to make his own judgment calls when it comes to protecting you. Which probably means someone wants you dead. What did you get yourself into?"

"I may or may not have had to defend a certain someone's honor against a jackass with _connections_" he explained nonchalantly.

"Damn. I wish I had time to hear the whole story. How did you find out about CW?"

"The jackass."

"Of course; well, CW can't know that you know anything."

"I'm aware of that, which is why I'm calling. V wants to contact you through CW. You need to let me tell her something."

"You can't tell V. She's a liability. She'll try to find me; she can't help herself. You just have to keep her away from CW."

"I've got her convinced for now, but it's not going to stick. She's knows there's something I'm not telling her. I don't know how, but she knows. She always knows. Plus, I've gotten in enough trouble by withholding information from her in the past."

"Fine," he sighed, "use your best judgment. And don't forget to get a new phone."

Logan stopped pacing and sat on the edge of his bed as the line went dead.

* * *

Dick was raiding the kitchen cabinets for a snack when he heard the door open.

"Dude, that was quick. Did you find her?" he asked, still deciding which chips he wanted to devour first.

"Find who?" inquired a familiar female voice.

"Oh, hey V," he said turning around, "Logan's not here. He went out looking for you."

"He's looking for me? Why wouldn't he just call?" she wondered aloud.

"He did. Said it went straight to voicemail. You know how he freaks when you turn your phone off. I think he's on his way to Mac's."

"I didn't turn my phone off," she said absentmindedly while retrieving said device from her pocket.

It was dead.

"Any chance your phone charger works on my phone?"

"Only one way to find out" Dick replied, disappearing into his bedroom.

"Ta da," he flourished as he re-emerged with the cord in question, "I'll call Logan and tell him to get his ass back here."

Veronica took the cord gratefully and set about plugging it into the nearest outlet.

"Hey, dude, call off the search dogs. Your girl just showed up here" said Dick in the background.

Veronica sighed, realizing that Dick's charger wasn't going to work on her phone. She disappeared into Logan's room to find his. Luckily, it did fit, so she left her phone charging on his bedside table and went back into the living room.

"He's on his way back. He wasn't gone long, so he should be back soon. Can I get you something?" Dick asked, awkwardly trying to be polite.

"Thanks, but I'm good" she replied, equally awkward and polite.

Veronica sat on the couch while Dick went back to his snack hunt. She turned on the tv and started flipping through the channels. She settled on her go-to, the news, and tried her best to ignore Dick without being obvious about it. Apparently she did too good a job of hiding her disdain, though, because he was soon sitting in the nearby chair, munching loudly on tortilla chips that he had melted cheese on in the microwave.

"Want some?" he offered with a mouth full of cheesy chips.

"No thanks," she reiterated, "I think Logan's taking me to dinner tonight."

"Oh, okay" he shrugged.

The uncomfortable silence (broken only by the news anchor and crunching) seemed to go on for an eternity. Veronica's mind flashed back to the 'space elevator' and she had to suppress a laugh to avoid having to explain herself.

_Still not as long as this one._

* * *

When Logan finally came in the door, Veronica and Dick both looked his way eagerly.

"Hey," he said, smirking as he looked between the two of them, "having fun without me?"

"You know it," Dick joked back. "Did you make it all the way to Mac's, or did I catch you in time?"

"Nah, I wasn't even to campus yet. I'm surprised we didn't pass each other in the lobby" he said, turning his attention to Veronica.

"Why didn't you just call Mac?" she asked.

"I didn't think she'd answer" he shrugged.

That seemed like typical Logan logic, so she didn't question him further. He put his arm around her and they fell into a comfortable silence, watching the news.

"Geez, you two are boring!" Dick commented, getting up. "I'm going out. Call me if you want to do anything interesting, bro."

"Later" Logan called after him.

"So, are we still going to dinner?" Veronica asked as soon as Dick was gone. "Because I'm starving. I almost took Dick up on his cheesy chip offer."

"What?" he asked.

She nodded to the plate on the table that was now held just a few chip crumbs and some dried cheese bits.

"Yeah, I'm taking you to dinner, but I've got to tell you something first."

"Okay..." she said cautiously.

"Now you have to promise you won't get mad at me."

"You do know who you're talking to, right?"

"Come on. It's not _really_ bad. Just promise" he pleaded.

"Fine. I'll try really hard not to get mad. Good enough?" she compromised.

"Okay. So right before the special election and all the surrounding drama, I got a vague message and a cheap cell phone delivered here. It said that the safety net had almost failed and that I needed to make sure you were safe. I knew it had to be Duncan, so I called the number programmed into the phone so I could tell him that you weren't speaking to me anymore. He just told me to get a new phone and to call him if anything happened to you" he explained as quickly as possible.

"You talked to Duncan?" she asked, incredulous. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I talked to him, but no, I don't know where he is. And I don't want to know. It's too risky, so please don't try to find him. That's why he hasn't tried to contact you. He said it would be too tempting for you."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"I had to tell _him_ I was going to tell you. He made me swear not to, but we weren't together at the time so I thought it wouldn't be a problem. Then today, when you wanted to talk to CW about him, I knew I had to tell you something. D says that CW can't find out that we know anything or have had any contact with him" he said firmly.

"So can I talk to him?"

"Not yet. We have to get a new phone first. Every time we talk, we destroy the phones and then get new ones. That's why they're supposed to be for emergency use only" he explained.

"How do you know what number to call?" she asked.

"Off shore bank account transfers. We use the phone number for the amount of the transfer" he explained.

"Wow. That's impressive. I didn't teach him that one" she mused.

"That's because it was my idea" he casually informed her.

"Really?" said half-asked, half-stated. "That's hot."

"Oh, you think so?" he replied coyly.

She answered him with a kiss. And then another. And then another...

A/N: My theory is that CW called Duncan when Jake wanted Veronica "taken care of", that's why Duncan called upon Logan. Now that V and Jake have an uneasy peace agreement, CW can protect her again. I figure if Duncan can have CW kill Aaron, then he can certainly ask for protection of the people he cares about the most.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this one up. It's another long one, though, so hopefully that makes up for it ;) Enjoy!

Ch.10 - Halloween Hijinks

_Another Sunday night in the library. What I wouldn't give for a more exciting work-study job. Oh well, I suppose it's better than working in the cafeteria. At least I can have friends visit without having to stand in line._

Veronica perked up when she saw Mac enter the library. It had been dead all night and she was in desperate need of human interaction.

"Mac Attack, what brings you here?" she greeted her friend warmly.

"A poly-sci term paper" she responded.

"You don't take poly-sci" Veronica noted.

"No, but apparently a lot of cheaters do."

"Ah, so Max is hard at work" she inferred.

"Yep. And as riveting as it is to watch him help people cheat, I'd rather hang out with you. In the library. I'm pathetic."

"Then we're both pathetic. I picked up this shift" Veronica admitted.

"So Logan's not back yet?"

"Nope. His morning class got cancelled, so he probably won't be back until morning knowing him and Dick."

"I still can't believe you turned down the opportunity to crash their surfing trip" Mac said sarcastically.

"I don't know what possessed him to ask me if I wanted to go with them. Like I want to spend any more time with Dick than I already have to. Although, I must say, it felt good to be asked."

At first, Veronica had been skeptical of the invite, but Logan had seemed so sincere about it. She had told him, honestly, that surf trips were his thing, not hers, and that she was fine with that. His reaction wasn't upset or relieved by her decision, he just accepted it. She still wasn't quite sure what it meant, but it felt like a good thing.

"So, speaking of asking you things, I've got a question for you. Do you think I could invite Parker to Dick's Halloween party?" Mac asked cautiously.

"Sure, if you think she'd want to come" Veronica replied skeptically.

"She will. I told you, she doesn't care that you and Logan are back together. She's totally over it" Mac insisted.

"You **say** that; but I've been in this dorm room a lot since school started back, and I **still** haven't seen her" Veronica noted suspiciously.

"Coincidence. I swear. She's not avoiding you. You'll see" Mac insisted again.

"If you say so. I'll have to double check with Logan, but I'm fine with it" Veronica assured her.

"Thanks, Veronica. I was glad when Parker agreed to be roommates again this year. I didn't want to have to get used to someone else. You two getting along makes my life much less stressful."

"Oh, you know me. I get along with everyone" she joked.

* * *

_Honesty. It's like ripping off a band aid. It's not that bad once it's over, but it's so hard to work up the nerve to do it._

Veronica and Logan were eating lunch outside when he brought up Dick's party. She decided she should tell him about inviting Parker sooner, rather than later. She wasn't sure how he was going to react, or even how she wanted him to react. Yep, it was best to just get it over with.

"So, Mac wants to invite Parker. I told her that I don't have a problem with it, but I'll tell her not to if it's weird for you" she blurted out.

"It's cool," he replied without hesitation, "Mac can invite her. Besides, it's Dick's party - not mine."

"Yeah, but you live there. That kind of makes it your party, too" she pointed out.

"If you say so," he said as Wallace approached them, "The more the merrier. That's my motto, right Wallace."

"Sure, why not? Are you talking about the party?" he asked, addressing them both.

"How'd you guess? You're still coming right?" Veronica inquired.

"I said I would, didn't I? Anyway, that's what I came to talk to you both about" he began, "I was wondering if I could bring Piz. I know he's been kind of a jerk lately, but I think getting out and having fun would do him some good."

"As long as he's not rude to my girlfriend again" Logan answered.

"Might as well," Veronica seconded. "He's your friend, after all. But I'm giving Logan permission to punch him in the face if he acts like a jackass again."

"That's totally understandable" Wallace conceded.

"Well. If nothing else, at least this party should be entertaining" Logan said, looking pointedly at Veronica.

"Parker's coming, too" she explained to Wallace.

"You're right," he replied. "This will be an interesting party. I'll catch you guys later."

"Are you ready, Mac?" Veronica called in the direction of the closet.

"Voila!" Mac exclaimed, popping out from behind the door.

"Really? That's not a costume" Veronica said, rolling her eyes. "You're a trekkie every day."

"Yeah, well. What are **you** supposed to be? Little Bo Peep?" she shot back playfully.

"No, I'm Jane. As in Tarzan and Jane" she explained defensively.

"So Logan's going to be in a loin cloth and you're going to be in _that_?" asked a voice from behind.

"Holy crap, you scared me! I didn't hear you come in" Veronica said, turning around.

"Well hello to you, too" laughed Parker. "You're seriously wearing that to the party?"

"Why not?" she asked. "Jane wears a yellow dress. **This** is a yellow dress. I don't see the problem."

"The problem is, it's totally frumpy. Take it off. Mac, get me some scissors" she commanded.

"You can't just cut up my dress" Veronica protested.

"Oh come on, if you don't think that what I do is a vast improvement, then I'll give you the five bucks I'm sure you paid for it."

"Fine," she said, taking off the dress and tossing it to Parker, "but it was seven dollars."

"Ha! You won't regret it" she said triumphantly.

"What are _you_ going as Parker?" Mac asked, wondering how long it was going to take her to get ready **and** alter Veronica's costume.

"Wonder Woman, of course" she answered, holding up a skimpy looking, store-bought costume.

"Ah yes, of course. I should have known" Mac answered dryly, shaking her head.

"Here," Parker said, tossing a makeup case across to Mac's bed. "You two accessorize while I finish this dress and get my costume ready."

"Wow. You're really into Halloween, aren't you?" Mac observed, going through the contents of the bag.

She took out some flesh colored putty and sculpted it into two pointed tear-drop shapes. She pulled her hair back and stuck them on top of either ear.

"How's that? Now I'm a Vulcan."

"Much better" Veronica laughed.

* * *

_What is it about Halloween that always makes a girl feel exposed? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend just chopped my costume in half. I __**am**__ exposed. _

Veronica fought the urge to tug at her dress as they entered the party. She immediately scanned the room, looking for Logan. She spotted him in the kitchen making a drink. She had to admit, Parker's changes to her costume certainly made her coordinate with Logan's costume a bit better. Of course, he had never had much of a problem with exposing himself. Although to be fair, with a body like that, who could blame him?

"Hey Tarzan, is that for me?" she asked, walking over to him.

"What happened to your costume?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"Oh... well... Parker..." she started and then fell silent.

"Remind me to send her a fruit basket" he muttered under his breath.

"What?" she asked, amused.

"You look good" he clarified. "Damn good."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "Thanks."

He poured her a drink, draped an arm around her shoulders, and guided her back toward her friends. They reached the girls just as Wallace and Piz walked in. Logan waved them over to avoid any extra awkwardness.

"Hey. What's going on?" Wallace greeted the group.

"Again with the costumes that don't count" Veronica said, motioning to Wallace's basketball uniform.

"What she means to say is, hi Wallace, hi Piz" Logan joked.

"Here" said Parker, pulling out an eyeliner that was hidden who-knows-where in her costume and drawing under both his eyes. "Now you're a zombie basketball player."

"And I say again, you really are into Halloween, aren't you? How did I not know this before?" Mac marveled.

"Yo what's up, party people?" Dick called, walking over to the group. "Parker, you're looking mighty fine tonight. And Logan, who's your hot friend? I expected you to be with Veronica."

Veronica turned around, slightly creeped out - but also flattered - that Dick called her hot.

"Damn, V! I didn't even recognize you. You're going to have fun tonight, dude. You can never go wrong with a little role-playing" he said to Logan, putting his hand up for a high five.

Logan returned it quickly and muttered an apology for Dick to Veronica under his breath.

"Sooo... drinks are that way." Logan pointed toward the kitchen, trying to diffuse the awkwardness.

Dick just wandered off, chatting with everyone along his path, oblivious to his uncanny way of making an uncomfortable situation even worse.

* * *

Mac was startled when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the message and sighed quietly to herself as she put the phone away again. Her actions, however slight, did not go unnoticed by her best friend.

"So how late is Max going to be?" Veronica asked knowingly.

"Well, he'd have to actually show up in order to be late" she said, disappointment clear in her voice.

"He's bailing? Why?"

"The usual. He says he has too much work to do."

"Forget about him, Mac. You're too good for him," Parker chimed in. "Besides, you've got your girls by your side tonight."

Mac and Veronica exchanged a look and then laughed. Then, as if summoned by fate, Logan glided over.

"Hello, ladies. I need to borrow Veronica for a while, if that's okay" he said, adding in his best caveman voice: "Tarzan need Jane!"

Veronica gave Mac an apologetic look and let herself be led away by her boyfriend.

"And then there were two" Mac deadpanned.

"So what's up?" Veronica asked Logan as he walked her across the living room.

He stopped them outside his bedroom door and turned to face her.

"You are entirely too hot tonight, you know that? It's really not fair."

"I could say the same thing to you" she replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious again with all the people around.

"You know, I've got a room in this hotel..." he hinted.

"Yeah, and there's a party going on it" she reminded him.

"Not behind that door there's not."

"Yeah, but... wait a minute, you're serious aren't you?" she asked, incredulous.

"Nobody will miss us for an hour or two" he said with a wink.

She looked around for a second, carefully considering her decision. "You've got thirty minutes" she said sternly before disappearing behind the door.

* * *

"What is it about _him_ that all you girls find so appealing?"

Parker was startled to hear a male voice in her ear, but she didn't let it show. She had been trying to hide the fact that she was watching Veronica and Logan's interaction, but apparently she hadn't done that great of a job. Max had called Mac a mere twenty seconds after Veronica left with Logan, leaving Parker with nothing to do but watch 'the show'. She wasn't about to let Piz, of all people, know he had caught her off guard, though.

"You mean, besides the obvious?"

"Yes. Beyond his good looks and bad boy charm, what is there?"

"Well," she started thoughtfully, "he's exciting, and funny, and he has this uncanny way of making you feel like the most important person in the world... until you remember that he will only ever love Veronica. Of course, even **that's** kinda hot in a strange way."

"Hmph. Sorry I asked" Piz muttered.

"What? Girls aren't allowed to find anyone else attractive, ever?" she teased him.

"No. I mean, yes. It's just..." he finished lamely.

"Look, Piz, you just have to accept that those two are a lost cause and get on with your life. You're a hot guy; you'll bounce back if you try a little."

Piz tried to push Veronica's face out of his mind and actually looked at Parker. She definitely wasn't Veronica, but she did have a point. He needed to give other girls a chance. Girls who were available. Girls who thought he was hot.

"Hey, do you wanna get out of here?" he asked impulsively.

"Your place or mine?" she replied seductively.

"Yours" he said, trying to suppress his shock. He had been thinking late night pizza run, but this sounded a lot more promising.

"I'll tell Mac. Meet me in the hall in five" she instructed.

He thought about going to tell Wallace not to expect him home tonight, but Wallace was chatting up a cute brunette in the corner, and he didn't want to intrude. He walked into the hallway in a half-daze. He didn't really do this sort of thing, but he had to do something to get him out of his funk. Besides, Parker had liked him before she liked Logan. He really liked that about her. She came through the door confidently and led him to her car. They were getting ready to enter her dorm room when she turned to face him.

"I just have one favor to ask."

"Okay" he said warily.

"You've got to tell me who's better in bed, **me** or Veronica" she said confidently, as though she already knew what the answer would be.

"I... well... we..." he stammered, "I won't be able to tell you because I never had sex with Veronica."

"Oh," she said in surprise, "so the sex tape wasn't real?"

"No, unfortunately the tape was real. We just weren't actually having sex" he explained.

"Oh. Well, never mind then. You may enter" she said, opening the door for him.

"Can I ask you a favor?" he asked as he went into the room.

"Sure."

"Please don't compare me to Logan. At least, not out loud."

Parker laughed deviously as she closed the door.

* * *

Veronica and Logan tried to re-enter the party on the sly, per Veronica's request, only to be accosted by Mac the second they closed the door behind them.

"Mac, I'm sorry I abandoned you" Veronica began a hasty apology.

"What? I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I don't need a babysitter. But I _do_ need to tell you both something."

"What?" Veronica asked, worried.

"Parker left with Piz. She took him back to our dorm room" Mac informed them.

"Hmmm..." Logan intoned, looking at Veronica to gauge her reaction.

"So, you need a place to crash?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by the new information.

"Uh, now that you mention it, I guess I do" Mac answered slowly, a bit perplexed by her reaction.

"You can stay here" offered a familiar voice nearby.

"Geez, Dick. Eavesdrop much?" Veronica said.

"Hey, it's my party. I can join any conversation I want" he defended himself.

"You're not going to see your _boyfriend_?" Logan asked, stressing the word boyfriend and looking pointedly at Dick when he said it.

"Nah. He ditched me tonight. Payback's a bitch" she explained nonchalantly.

"Then, for once, Dick's right. You'll stay here" Logan said, ignoring Dick's smug look that the girls couldn't see.

"Right. So that's settled. Let's get a drink" Veronica said, leading Mac away from Dick.

"Don't worry, I'll prop a chair up under his doorknob so he can't escape tonight" she laughed, once they were out of earshot.

"Thanks," Mac laughed, "but seriously, did you even hear the part about Parker and Piz?"

"Yeah" she said rolling her eyes, "Did you think it would upset me?"

"Honestly? Yes."

"Well, it doesn't" she stated simply.

"Good. It is a little weird, though, right?"

"It's Neptune, what do you expect? Weirdness abounds."

She motioned to Dick and Logan on the other side of the room, obviously arguing about something, but neither looking angry about it. Every few seconds, one or the other would look in the girls' direction.

"Whatever _that_ is, it can't be good" Mac determined.

"A chair **and** a pack of attack dogs" Veronica amended to her previous statement.

Mac nodded in agreement and the two went off in search of Wallace. The night wasn't over yet.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Can I just say how ridiculously excited I am for the VM movie? It's making it difficult to continue this story, knowing from the movie spoilers that it never would have happened this way, but I'll persist. I just hope the movie leaves us with good opportunities for new stories (and more LoVe!). Anywho... this story will have to do until we get our movie magic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Backing the Kickstarter campaign is almost like owning a miniscule part of VM, right? Nah, didn't think so... I still don't own it, sadly. But if you haven't backed the campaign yet, DO IT! projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project 

Ch. 11 - Matchmaker Redux

_Ah, Monday morning. A time for reflection. A time to make good on your promise to stay friends with your boyfriend's ex. Oh look, here she comes now. Nice try, Universe, but you've gotten so predictable_.

"Hey Parker" Veronica and Mac unintentionally said in unison, as she approached the table.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, already pulling out a chair.

"Sure" Veronica answered.

"Where's Piz?" Mac asked with a teasing note to her voice.

"Mac, I told you, we aren't dating or anything. It was just a... a thing. I don't want to make a big deal about it" she said, glancing nervously at Veronica.

"Are you sure Piz knows that?" Veronica asked quizzically.

"I'm sure he does... Why?"

"Because he's heading this way" Mac warned.

"You're kidding me, right?" Parker asked, slightly alarmed.

"Nope" Mac laughed.

Parker held in a groan as Piz appeared next to her and pulled the fourth chair close to hers before sitting down. Mac and Veronica shared an amused look.

"So, how is everybody?" he asked brightly.

"We're good. How are you?" Mac interjected before either of the other two could answer.

"I'm good," he answered. "It's a nice morning, isn't it?"

"Very nice" Veronica chimed in, trying not to laugh at Parker's panicked expression.

"So, Parker, I was thinking about going to see this band play Friday night and wondered if you might want to come with me?" Piz asked, oblivious to Parker's deer-in-headlights impersonation.

"Oh, well, the girls and I were just talking about having a girls-night-out on Friday. Maybe next time?" she answered with a pleading look for the girls to play along.

"Maybe you could all stop by then" he suggested, undeterred.

"Maybe" Mac said politely.

"Okay, well I've got class" Piz said after a few minutes of silence, "Think about coming to the show. You won't regret it. I'll see you girls later."

"What was that?" Parker asked once Piz was out of range.

"The boy is smitten" Veronica informed her with a shrug.

* * *

"Veronica seems very cool about what happened with me and Piz" Parker noted that evening when Mac got back to their room.

"That's because she is," Mac explained.

Parker frowned a little, unintentionally.

"Don't look so disappointed," Mac laughed. "Is that what this whole thing was about? Making them jealous?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I guess that factored into it. I mean, it does sting a little to see them together, but I thought I was handling it pretty well. It was Piz who seemed upset about it. I was trying to convince him to move on when he suggested that we leave the party together."

"It was Piz's idea?" Mac asked with a mixture of shock and admiration.

"Well, he said we should leave. And I jokingly asked him, his place or mine. But he took it seriously and I kind of just went with it. I don't know. I thought it was just a rebound/ make our exes jealous kind of thing. I thought that's what he wanted" Parker explained.

"And now you know he wants more" Mac interjected.

"Yeah, and I did like him for a little while last year, but I got bored waiting around."

"Well, if you want the green-light to date him now, I think you've got it."

"But I don't want to date him, Mac. At least, I don't think I do."

"I'm pretty sure he thinks you already are dating."

"So what do I do about it?"

"Figure out if you like him."

"That's the thing, though. I do like him. I just don't think I can play second fiddle to Veronica. Not again" she admitted.

"Then maybe the three of us should go see this band on Friday. Then we can try to figure out if he really likes you, or if he's still just trying to make Veronica jealous" Mac suggested.

"I guess it's worth a shot, but how are we going to convince Veronica to come?"

"I don't think it will be too hard. Veronica loves a good mystery."

* * *

"Oh my god, it'll be bowling all over again" Veronica said, exasperated.

"Only instead of Logan, you'll be with me. Much less awkward. Besides, we can leave once Parker realizes that Piz is over you" Mac tried to encourage her friend.

"Remind me; why can't Logan come again? He's not going to be a fan of this idea you know" she continued to protest.

"It's supposed to be girl's night out. Plus, if he sees you and Logan together, we won't be able to tell if he really likes Parker or if he's just trying to get to Logan" Mac countered.

Veronica groaned. "Fine. But I'm not staying long."

"Totally justified. I'll take you to Logan's once we decide what we're doing with Parker" Mac promised.

"This band better be halfway decent, too."

"If it's not, I'll fake a heart attack" Mac laughed.

* * *

_What's an easy way to stress out your significant other? Tell him you're going to hang out with your ex to see if he still has the hots for you. What's not to like about that plan?_

"I don't like this, Veronica" Logan stated matter-of-factly. He was pacing, which wasn't a good sign.

"I know. I don't like it, either. It's so junior high, but I told Mac I would do it."

"What are you going to do when Piz starts hitting on you again, huh? Taze him?"

"He's not going to hit on me. I really think he's into Parker now. Mac and I are only going because Parker didn't want to go alone" Veronica explained for the hundredth time.

"That ought to tell you something right there. They wanted to make us jealous; it didn't work; so now they have to live with it. We shouldn't be involved in this" Logan insisted.

"Maybe you're right, but Mac and Parker think this is a good idea and they'll be upset if I bail now."

"And it doesn't matter if I'm upset?"

"Of course it matters" she said, standing up in front of him so he would stop pacing.

"Then don't go" he pleaded, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"We'll only be there for like an hour. Then Mac will bring me here and we can have the rest of the night all to ourselves" she cooed, inching closer to him.

"Mac's coming over? When?" asked Dick, popping his head out of his bedroom.

"Go away, Dick" Logan warned, annoyed by the interruption.

"She's not coming over. She's dropping me off here tomorrow night. Then she's going to see her own boyfriend" Veronica explained as patronizingly as possible.

"Oh," Dick replied sullenly, "she's still with that guy?"

"Yeah, tough luck, man. Now be a good boy and close your door" Logan instructed.

"Hey, the living room is a common area. You've got a bedroom for that stuff."

"Where's your tazer?" Logan asked Veronica.

"Whatever. Let me know when it's safe to come out" Dick pouted as he retreated back into his room.

"Now, where were we?" Veronica asked, turning her full attention back to Logan.

"I believe we had moved on to the making up portion of our evening" he answered, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Were we fighting?" Veronica questioned, catching her breath.

"That's funny; I don't even remember" he said, lifting her off the ground so he could carry her to his bed.

"Ollie, ollie, oxen free" she called loudly as the door clicked shut behind them.

Dick peeked out his door cautiously before deciding the coast was clear. He then proceeded into the kitchen to make a sandwich.

* * *

"Let's get this show on the road, ladies" Veronica said, ushering her friends toward the door of the bar.

"Thanks for doing this, Veronica" Parker said, stopping the impatient blonde.

"I know, I'm a saint, now quit stalling" she replied. "And really, it's no problem."

They entered the not-so-crowded bar and exchanged skeptical looks. Piz spotted them and hurried over, dragging a bored-looking Wallace along with him.

"You made it" he observed happily.

"Yeah" said Parker slowly, "are we early?"

"Oh, they're between sets" Piz explained casually. "Do you want to meet the band?"

"Umm, sure" Parker replied, allowing herself to be led away from the rest of the group.

"Well, I think our work here is done. Can we go now?" Veronica dead-panned.

"No way, you cannot leave me here" Wallace insisted.

"Are they that bad?" Mac asked with a laugh.

"Actually, they aren't terrible, but look around" he explained. "This place is dead."

"I'm sure Piz won't care if you leave with us, now that we brought Parker to him" Veronica offered. "We only promised to stay for an hour."

"I just might take you up on that" Wallace said, leading the girls to the table he'd set up post at.

"So, Wallace, what's your opinion on the Piz/Parker situation?" Mac questioned as they sat down.

"I have no opinion. I'm strictly here for moral support. But if Piz cares at all what you think, V, he's doing a good job of hiding it" he weighed in.

"Hey, I want him to move on," she defended. "It's a little suspicious that he chose Parker to do it with, but whatever works."

The sudden drum beat startled all three of them, and they turned toward the stage. A group of guys, not much older than themselves, had snuck back on stage and started playing without so much as an introduction. It was a mid-tempo song, heavy on the bass. From the few lyrics that were understandable, given the acoustics, it was about unrequited love. Or about the band's love for cheeseburgers. It was really hard to understand, but the melody was upbeat and full of energy.

"At least they don't suck" Mac called to Veronica above the noise.

"I want that on my tombstone," she called back. "At least she didn't suck."

"I'll make a note of it for your will" Mac countered.

"You better hope Logan doesn't let Dick come to your funeral," Wallace interjected. "I can only imagine what he'd have to say about that particular phrase."

"I'm counting on outliving Dick, so it shouldn't be a problem" Veronica laughed.

"What shouldn't be a problem?" Parker asked, as she and Piz finally arrived back at the table.

"Veronica outliving Dick" Mac answered.

"Oh" Parker said, realizing she had missed something and deciding to change the subject. "What do you think of the band?"

"They're not bad" offered Mac.

"A little hard to understand," Veronica piped in, "but I don't think that's their fault. It's really echo-y in here."

"Yeah, this place usually caters to solo artists and open mic nights," Piz explained. "The acoustics are abysmal for larger bands."

Veronica, Mac, and Wallace sat through the set politely, tired of trying to talk over the music. Piz and Parker had joined the few people dancing in front of the band. Well, not really dancing, more like bobbing their heads to the beat. Veronica decided that only two people who really liked each other would bother to pretend that this was an exciting date. When the band took another break after only five songs, she and Mac pulled Parker aside for the verdict.

"So, are you coming with us, or are you staying here with Piz?" Mac asked, already knowing the answer.

"You guys go on ahead," she insisted. "I'll catch a ride home with Piz."

"Sounds good. I'll be at Max's, so the room's yours if you want it" Mac informed her.

"That probably won't be necessary, but thank you," Parker said before turning to Veronica. "And thank you again, Veronica. I feel a lot better about this now. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"You too, Parker. Glad I could be of service. Say bye to Piz for us, okay?"

Mac and Veronica locked arms and headed back to the table to scoop up Wallace.

"Come on, Wallace. Let's blow this popsicle stand" Veronica said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of his chair.

_So "girl's night out" ended with fifteen minutes to spare. Logan and I can officially stop worrying about our exes trying to get in the way of our happiness. And, as Mac so aptly put it, the band didn't suck. I guess the universe __**is**__ occasionally on my side. Let's hope it stays that way for awhile._


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Well, this chapter took on a life of its own. My inner noir finally decided to show itself. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: Imitation is the best form of flattery.

Ch. 12 – I'll Be Watching You

_Sunrise: the dawn of a new day. Some people find it poetic. I just find it to be a pain in the ass, especially on Sunday. _

Daylight streamed in through a small space between the curtains. Veronica tried to roll over and fall back asleep, but it wasn't going to happen. She remembered something she forgot to do the day before. She carefully got up and slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. She scrolled through the contacts on her phone until she found the person she needed to call. She hesitated ever so slightly before pressing the button to call. It rang several times before anyone answered.

"Well, well, well. Veronica Mars. You _are_ still alive" Weevil greeted her on the other end.

"Hey, Weevil. How ya been?" she asked innocently.

"Cut the crap, blondie. Tell me what you need" he replied, shaking his head.

"Information. I just need you to talk to some people for me," she answered. "Well, actually, that part's for my dad."

"Your dad? Why should I help him? He fired me, remember?"

"Oh come on, that was a long time ago. Besides, he said he needed to work with the best on this one" she said, hoping some flattery would do the trick.

"Mmhmm," he muttered skeptically. "What kind of information does he need anyway?"

"Actually... I don't know. I'm just supposed to get you to agree to help and then send you to my dad. He won't tell me anything about the case. He said it's 'none of my concern', whatever that means" she admitted begrudgingly.

"So you need me to fill you in once I find out what's going on" he surmised.

"You know me so well" she replied.

"I'll see what I can do, but you owe me" Weevil sighed.

"Oh, didn't I mention? This is a paying gig; but you'll have to work that out with my dad. You can meet him at the office any time today until four" she told him.

"Always great talking to ya, V."

"Yeah, we'll have to do it again real soon" she said, hanging up her phone.

Her senses alerted her to movement only seconds before she felt the arm drape across her shoulders. She smiled and turned into Logan's hug.

"Who was that?" he asked into the top of her head.

"Just Weevil," she answered, pulling her head back just far enough to see his face. "Dad wanted me to ask him for help with a case."

"Why Weevil?"

"I dunno. I guess because he knows people. I'm not really sure what the case is about. Dad won't tell me anything."

"Ah, so you're going to make Weevil tell you. It's all coming together now. Your dad didn't come up with the idea to use Weevil on his own, did he?" Logan accused playfully.

"He _thinks_ he did" she said slyly.

"That's my girl" Logan said before kissing her and leading her back to the bedroom.

* * *

_You give simple instructions; you expect them to be followed. I should have known better. Oh well, if there's one thing I have learned, it's that good hunters don't have to seek out their prey - all I have to do is wait and the prey will come to me. _

Veronica spotted her quarry out of the corner of her eye. She pulled Logan's arm and directed him to follow her. They caught up quickly and unexpectedly, just as she had hoped.

"Weevil, I was hoping to run into you. Why haven't you returned my calls?" Veronica demanded.

"Sorry, V, I've been busy with this case and all. I don't have anything to report yet, though" he answered evasively.

"You could start with the basics. What are you supposed to find out?" she questioned.

"It really isn't anything you need to be concerned with" he told her sheepishly.

"We had a deal, Weevil" she reminded him sternly.

"I told you I'd see what I could do. Right now, I can't do anything for you. I need to get some more information first. Your dad won't keep me on the case if he thinks I've told you anything, and if I'm gone, so is your only hope of getting any information ever."

"He makes a good point" Logan pointed out, trying to diffuse some of the tension.

Veronica glared at her boyfriend and then stared at the biker. Weevil gave her an apologetic look and she realized he wasn't going to budge. She finally stalked away, not saying anything else to either of them, leaving Logan to regret opening his mouth at all.

"Well that's just great," Logan muttered to himself before turning to Weevil. "So what's so bad that you can't tell Veronica?"

"Sorry, man, can't tell you either" Weevil said, not sounding very sorry at all.

"All the more reason why you need to" Logan replied testily.

Weevil considered telling Logan to buzz off, but Logan looked like he was itching for a fight today. He decided it would be in his best interest to _not_ go back to jail for assault and battery.

"Look, if I tell you, you can't tell Veronica. And you can't do anything about it yourself. Keith has a plan and it definitely doesn't involve you."

Logan hesitated. "I'll see what I can do" he said.

"Fine. Somebody's been sending Keith threatening letters. He wants me to find out who and why" Weevil said concisely.

"Okay, well that explains why you couldn't tell Veronica; but why couldn't you tell me? Were you just trying to be a dick?"

"The letters are addressed to Keith, but the threats aren't" Weevil explained carefully.

"So someone's threatening Veronica," Logan said angrily, "and that's _not_ my concern?"

"That reaction is exactly why I wasn't supposed to tell you anything. You go in busting heads and this whole investigation is shot. Whoever is doing this knows who you are. You're mentioned in the letters, too" Weevil informed him.

"So it's Sorokin, then" Logan said, clenching his fists.

"Yeah, that's what Keith thought at first. But Gory knows who you are by now - What? You think nobody knows about that?" Weevil shook his head and continued, "The letters never mention you by name. You're just the 'pretty boy-toy' that gets mentioned in all of them. Keith thinks it's a stalker."

"You find out who it is, you tell _me_. Understood?" Logan demanded in a threatening tone.

"Sure, if there's anything left of him by the time I'm through," Weevil responded. "You think you're the only one with anger issues around here? Keith didn't need Veronica's suggestion that I help him with this case. He just let her think that. He knows the range of my moral compass. In fact, I think he's counting on it."

"And what about me? I can't just sit around and let my girlfriend be followed by a stalker" Logan stated.

"That's exactly what you have to do," Weevil explained. "This psycho has to believe that you and Veronica are oblivious or he'll escalate. At least, that's what Keith says. For now, just stick to her side like glue, but don't act paranoid. Everything has to be business as usual or you risk making things worse."

"Business as usual," Logan said bitterly. "Fine. But you better find this bastard quick."

"That's the plan" Weevil assured him, walking away with a purpose.

* * *

Logan walked into Keith's office without knocking. Thankfully, Keith was alone, working on paperwork. He looked up and motioned for Logan to have a seat.

"Logan," Keith began, "I was wondering when I'd see you. Weevil cracked quite a bit earlier than I expected, but I suppose I wouldn't want to cross you with that look on your face, either."

"You _wanted_ Weevil to tell me" Logan said skeptically.

"Well, no, but I figured it was inevitable. You haven't told Veronica have you?" he asked with concern.

"Of course I haven't told her" Logan snapped.

"Good," Keith replied, ignoring the bite in Logan's voice. "I suppose you'll want to see the letters?"

Logan simply nodded, Keith's calmness rubbing off on him slightly. Keith unlocked his safe and retrieved a folder. He hesitated to hand it over to an eager Logan and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I think it's safe to assume from these letters that the stalker knows which suite is yours, so I don't want Veronica alone at your place. That being said, I don't really want her alone at home, either. I know she still spends plenty of nights at your place when I'm not home. Under normal circumstances, I'd be mad about this, but right now I want her to stay with you. I'll let you know when I'm going to be home late, too. She can stay with you then as well. Tell Wallace and Mac if you need their help, but don't let her find out."

"Agreed," Logan said. "Now can I read the letters?"

Keith nodded and slid the folder across his desk. Logan pulled out the first sheet of paper and read it silently. He clenched his teeth as he reached for the second. He got halfway through the third, and final, letter before crumbling it in his fist and throwing it across the room. Keith opened a locked desk drawer and pulled out another copy. He offered it to Logan, who took it with a deep breath. He started by re-reading the part that made him lose his cool.

And I'll lock her pretty boy-toy on his own balcony and make him watch while I do it. If we're lucky, maybe he'll jump, like that kid I read about in the paper a few years ago.

Logan forced himself to finish reading the letter and placed it carefully back in the folder. He slowly handed the folder back to Keith. His whole body was shaking with anger and it took every ounce of willpower he had to stay calm.

"I wanted to spare you from these," Keith noted quietly. "Like I told you before, I haven't said anything to Veronica about staying with you lately because I knew you'd protect her, even without seeing these notes. I hope you know how difficult it's going to be to hide this from her. I want to warn her every day, but I know she'll be in more danger if I do. It's not an easy burden to bear."

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe. That sick, son of a bitch doesn't know who he's messing with" Logan said before heading for the door.

* * *

_I've always wondered: how exactly did curiosity kill the cat? I'm pretty sure now that it just spontaneously combusted, because that's the way I've been feeling lately. Like I'm a time bomb. Tick, tick, tick... _

Logan saw Veronica sitting alone in the cafeteria and made a beeline for her table. He stifled all his rage and tried to act natural. He was getting better at it after a few days' practice, but it was also getting harder to maintain.

"Well, my attempts to crack Weevil were no good, as usual, but I did find out something interesting" he said as he took a seat.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" she asked, trying not to let her own frustrations bubble to the surface.

"Your dad's going to be working late tonight. Weevil accidentally let that slip. So, you can stay at my place again" he informed her, stealing a fry from her plate.

"I don't know; I don't want him to get mad again. I was there all weekend. It's only Wednesday and he said not to make it a habit" she argued.

"He's not going to get mad," Logan protested. "He probably won't even notice."

"_My_ dad? Not notice? It's his job to notice things. Besides, he'll never tell me about this secret case if I get on his bad side."

"Enough about the stupid case," Logan snapped before he could stop himself.

"Tell me how you really feel" she said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that I can't find anything out for you. And class sucked this morning" he lied, hoping she would buy it.

"I'm sorry too," she said. "It was silly of me to think Weevil would tell you anything. you two can't stand each other. It just kills me not knowing. It's like I'm on high-alert all the time and I don't even know why."

Logan hugged her tightly. He made a mental note to give Keith props for making sure his daughter was paying attention to her surroundings without knowing why. It might save her life if neither of them were around to protect her.

"Why don't you come over to my house tonight?" she suggested. "I don't have class until ten tomorrow, so you can hang out until Dad gets home and kicks you out."

"That sounds like a fair compromise" he said, a wave of relief washing over him. "Come on, I'll walk you to class."

She almost protested the gesture, knowing that his next class was on the opposite end of campus, but she changed her mind. It was kind of nice to have someone to walk with. For some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her lately. Not that she would tell Logan that; he was protective enough as it was. She made a mental note to mention it to Mac later on. For now, she would enjoy her boyfriend being sweet and ignore the way he looked suspiciously at every single person they passed on her way to class. Maybe she was imagining that, too. Just one more thing to add to the 'Mac, am I crazy?' list. It was getting quite long this week. And it was only Wednesday.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Review this one. I'm on the fence about it.

Disclaimer: Just a rental.

Ch. 13 - And Me, Without Any Pants On

_It's funny how I'm beginning to miss solitude. Every time I turn around lately, my dad, Logan, Wallace, or Mac is there - magically waiting for me. The closest I get to being alone now is when someone goes to another room. And to think, I used to hate being ignored._

Veronica was watching TV in Logan's living room while he was in the shower. She tried to pretend she couldn't hear the muffled sounds of Dick's TV coming from the other room. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around her friends and family, but she hadn't really had much alone time in the past few days. She wasn't used to that. She groaned when she heard a knock at the door.

"Dick, are you expecting company?" she called loudly.

"No" he yelled back from his room, clearly making no effort to get up.

"Okay, I guess I'll get it then" she muttered to herself as she rose from the couch.

She was about to open the door when Logan came flying out of his room in just a towel.

"Veronica, no!" he exclaimed.

"No what? I can't answer the door? What is wrong with you?" she asked bewildered.

"I... never mind," he faltered. "See who it is."

She opened the door, but no one was there - it was only a room service cart. She looked around curiously and pulled it in the room.

"Dick, did you order room service?" she called loudly again.

"No" he yelled back again, still not bothering to move.

"That's weird. You didn't order anything did you?" she asked Logan.

"No, I didn't" he said, suddenly looking alarmed.

"What is wrong with you tonight?" she asked again, shaking her head.

Logan just stared at the covered plate on the cart. He didn't respond to her. She sighed in exasperation and pulled the top off the plate.

"What the hell?" she mused, dropping the metal lid back on the cart.

Logan pulled her away from the cart and enveloped her in a hug. She allowed it for a second before confusion and anger took over. She stepped backward, out of his embrace.

"What the hell is going on here, Logan? You've been acting strange all week and now this?" she gestured to cart. "You don't even look surprised to see a mutilated doll head in your living room."

He looked again at the creepy display next to them. The "doll" head was almost life size and it had been mangled and covered in fake blood - at least he hoped it was fake. It was only after looking a second time that he noticed the place card sitting next to the plate. It said 'Good night, Veronica' on it. He looked back at his girlfriend, not knowing what to say. He pulled out his cell phone and hit speed-dial instead.

"Who are you calling? The police?" she questioned.

"Your dad," he answered as the phone rang.

"Logan? Is everything alright?" Keith asked on the other end.

"You need to get over here. Now. I'm telling her everything" Logan informed him.

He hung up the phone and looked back at Veronica. He could tell she was furious. He wasn't sure where to begin. All he could think about was how to get some pants on before Keith arrived without making Veronica even more irate.

"Tell me what?" she asked in a dangerously calm voice.

"Someone's been sending threats to your father. He and Weevil are trying to find out who. I've just been trying to protect you" he explained feebly.

"Protect me?" she yelled. "By lying to me? When has that ever worked in the past?"

"Your dad said that if the stalker found out we knew anything, he would escalate. I didn't like the sound of that. Obviously pretending like I didn't know anything didn't work," he argued, gesturing to the service cart, "but I didn't know what else to do."

"You didn't know what else to do? If you were _so_ worried, you should have warned me" she spat.

"Look - I know you're angry, Veronica, but we did what we thought was best" he insisted.

"You always think you know what's best, don't you? Well, news flash, you don't!" she said, on the verge of tears. "I'm not staying here. Tell my dad he can find me at Mac's."

"Because _she_ doesn't hide things from you?" he asked quietly.

"You got Mac in on this? Wallace, too?" she questioned, tears falling as he nodded apologetically.

Silence fell over the room, both too upset to keep arguing. Dick finally peeked his head out of his room and stepped into the hallway.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked, looking around until he spotted the service cart. "Whoa, when did we become cannibals?"

Veronica and Logan both looked at him. He put his hands up in defeat and walked backward into his room. As soon as he disappeared, there was a knock on the door. They jumped at the sound.

Keith rushed into the room the second Logan opened the door. He wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her. Again, she hugged him back until she remembered that she was angry. She turned away and started to yell again.

"A stalker is after me and it 'doesn't concern me'?"

"Honey, you weren't supposed to find out. We're not even sure if there's any real danger with this" he explained, trying to soothe her.

"No real danger? You might want to rethink that" Logan interjected.

Keith glared at his daughter's boyfriend. He bit back the urge to yell at the boy for being practically naked and turned around to see what was making him so upset. Keith had been so concerned with seeing his daughter, that he hadn't paid attention to the rest of the room. A rookie mistake for a veteran PI. He saw the mutilated doll head and looked away. Logan walked over to the display and grabbed the place card.

"Logan, you're not supposed to move evidence" Keith said without any real conviction, as he saw the young man pick something up off the cart.

"Yeah, well, you need to read this" he said, shoving the card into Keith's hand.

Keith read the card and stood dumbfounded, wanting to hug his daughter again, but unable to move. She took the opportunity to snatch the card out of his hand. She looked at it and carefully placed it back on the cart. She turned to face the men again, arms folded across her chest in frustration.

"You tried things your way and look where it got us. Now it's my turn" she informed them.

"Honey, you can't seriously think I'm going to let you put yourself in more danger" Keith began.

"She has a point," Logan jumped in, ignoring Keith's glare. "I clearly didn't inherit any acting skills from my parents. Veronica saw right through me, and so did this bastard. The messages aren't coming to you anymore, Keith, our plan didn't work."

Under normal circumstances, Veronica would have smiled at Logan's attempt to stand up for her. She'd have to remember to thank him when this was all over. Right now, though, she was still pissed. However, her anger was shifting from Logan and her dad to whomever was stalking her and threatening her father. She spent the next half hour (once Logan put some clothes on, that is) explaining what _she _planned to do about the situation. Luckily, both men agreed with her and made only minor demands in regards to her safety.

After her father left, Veronica felt some of her anger drain away. She decided to show Logan some "appreciation" for his earlier actions before she forgot. He made a mental note to always take her side from now on.

* * *

_Lucky for me, I get a stalker who doesn't mind being on candid camera; and a best friend who has the computer skills to recover the footage. _

"So? Can you tell where it was altered?" Veronica questioned anxiously.

"Not with you bouncing around behind me like that" Mac stated with mock annoyance.

"Sorry. I'll let you work" Veronica replied, perching herself on the edge of Mac's bed.

"So this guy messed with the security tapes and made it look like somebody who actually worked there delivered the cart to you?" Parker asked incredulously.

"Yeah, everything's digital now so it's actually not that hard, but he didn't do a very good job," Mac explained. "I should be able to extract the raw footage pretty soon, if people leave me alone long enough to work."

Veronica and Parker exchanged a look, but fell silent. Veronica watched her friend work with admiration. She was going to be baking a lot of cookies in the near future. After a few minutes, Mac turned from her desk with a triumphant smile.

"Who's got the popcorn?" she asked, looking between her best friend and her roommate.

"Mac, you are amazing" Veronica stated.

"I know. Now, are we going to watch this or what?"

The girls gathered around Mac's computer. She started the video and hoped she hadn't underestimated this stalker guy. They watched as a hotel "employee" brought the cart to the door and knocked, but instead of staying with the cart, as the altered video had shown, this person unlocked and entered the room next door. He was careful to keep his head down and was dressed in a hotel uniform, but his stance was awkward. It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start.

"So it's someone who works at the Grand?" Parker surmised hopefully.

"Doubtful," Veronica sighed. "It's not that hard to get a uniform. I just wish he wasn't smart enough to hide his face. I think we need to investigate the other security cameras."

"_Other_ security cameras?" Mac inquired.

"Hey, there's only so much I can do without a warrant," Veronica defended herself. "Hopefully Logan still has a 'friend' or two on staff that can help us out."

"See if he can find out if that room was registered to anyone that night, too" Mac reminded her.

She pulled her cell out of her pocket and dialed her boyfriend.

"Did Mac work her magic?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

"She did, but you can't see his face. Any chance you can sweet talk someone on staff to get you another tape?" she inquired hopefully.

"I'll see what I can do. Are you sure you can't get your deputy buddy to help us out?"

"You've already gotten Leo fired once. I don't know how keen he'll be to risk losing his job again" Veronica pointed out.

"Hey, I didn't get him fired. Besides, if it's unofficial business, he can't get fired can he?" Logan countered.

"I'll see what I can do" Veronica echoed. "Oh, and the real video showed him going into the room to the right of yours. See if you can find out whether anyone booked it that night."

"Okay, I will. That shouldn't be too hard. You're still coming over later, right?"

"Yes. I even have my buddy system all worked out. I'm bringing Mac with me and Max will pick her up after he's done doing whatever it is he does" she explained patiently.

Veronica had begrudgingly agreed to travel alone as little as possible, especially to and from The Grand, until they at least knew vaguely what the stalker looked like. She had learned the hard way (several times now) that Mister Sparky wasn't always enough to save her. Now that she knew for certain that the guy had a Grand uniform, she wasn't quite so upset about all of it. She was even starting to enjoy her lack of alone time again. She had to admit, she would miss the extra attention when this was all over.


End file.
